Phantom Murderer or Gentleman
by FullMoonMaiden
Summary: Ulquiorra is a heartless murderer who is forced to live the life of a mercenary and cursed to wander the Earth for all eternity. In order to regain his humanity he must learn to love another anddiscover the meaning of self-sacrifice. Will the kind heart of a beautiful, young woman be enough to show him the light of redemption, or will it be his downfall? Rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

The young man with emotionless, bright green eyes and ink black hair squinted against the blinding white light. His white shirt sleeves billowed like the war flag flying high above the recently conquered castle underneath his battle worn armor. A young woman wearing a pearl white dress embedded with what looked like a thousand diamonds the size of grains of sand, midnight blue eyes, and hair brighter than starlight was staring down at him as he stood in a pool of the slaughtered king's blood.

"Ulquiorra Shiffer," the maiden announced in a tone that made the most melodic bells envious, "today your cruel and heartless life as a merciless mercenary will be renounced, and you will spend the rest of your days in a fate worse than death."

"What hell can be worse than the life of a mercenary?" Ulquiorra asked the woman in an emotionless tone. "Anything you do to me now will only be freeing me from this hell."

The starry haired maiden drew a golden staff from the sheath at her hip and pointed it at Ulquiorra. "Then you shall choose your own fate," she explained. "I curse you with the cruel fate of immortality until you learn to indulge yourself in self sacrifice for someone precious to you."

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I am a mercenary. We are taught at a young age to risk our lives in order to complete our mission. Any love and compassion we may have learned from our mothers has been thoroughly stripped from us. We are nothing more than killing machines who destroy for profit. Living for an eternity the way I am, will do absolutely nothing."

"I never said that you would be living it as you are," the woman informed.

Ulquiorra showed about as much emotion as a mercenary of his status could afford to reveal and slightly raised an eyebrow. He never said a word, but he did not need to. The glowing maiden floating listlessly in the sky read his slight action clearly. She spun the staff in her right hand until it was spinning like the wheel of a runaway cart and recited an incantation no one on the crimson stained battleground had ever heard, or ever will hear in their lives again.

"Merciless man of cruelty and hate, repent for your heartless ways and learn to love and sacrifice yourself for another, or live forever in your cursed fate." The staff ceased its rotation and the woman stabbed it into the air. It stopped abruptly and chimed as if she were standing on a stone floor.  
The heavenly ringing filled Ulquiorra's ears and he doubled over in pain. His internal organs felt as if they were being minced beneath a white hot iron, and the flesh of his back was crying out in agony as he felt it rip like the toughened fabric it was. He collapsed to his knees as his feet extended and grew talons, a black, cord-like tail ripped through the back of his pants, and a pain like no other coursed through his head as two, bone white horns protruded from his skull. His clothes shredded, revealing black furred legs, feet, forearms, and hands and a pale,well chizled chest, as his hands grew long black claws. But all of that was nothing more than a tender sunburn compared to the agonizing pain that erupted in his chest as an unseen force dissolved his flesh and bone; leaving a gaping hole running straight through his body.

"Remember it is up to you whether or not you live like this for all eternity. You will only turn back into your normal self when you are willing to sacrifice yourself for someone you love," the woman said, and was engulfed in a brilliant, white light.

Ulquiorra slowly stood up and heard the remaining mercenaries around him begin to yell as an arrow plunged into his shoulder. "A demon," some yelled. "He's devoured our captain!" another man cried. "Kill it!"

Another arrow sliced through Ulquiorra's hair and grazed his cheek. "No, I am not a demon," he shouted in anger as another arrow flew towards his face. There was a mob of nineteen mercenaries rushing at him with their swords at the ready. He held up his hand to catch the oncoming arrow, but instead a blinding black and green light exploded from his fingertip; burning the arrow and reducing the assailants to ash.

For the second time in Ulquiorra's life, he revealed just enough emotion to allow his eyes to widen as he stared down in horror at his black furred hand. He did not know where that power had come from, but he did not care. He had to retreat to a safer area before reinforcements came. The beautiful, destructive light that had emitted from his right pointer finger would have definitely been spotted.

There was a dull beating noise as he suddenly launched into the air. He looked behind him and gazed in terror at the two great, black wings slicing through the air; taking him high above the trees towards only God knows where.


	2. Chapter 2

Four-hundred years passed. The world had changed immensely and with it, and so did the cursed mercenary who dwelled in the parks, forests, dark allies, train stations, gas stations, and underground subways of the continually changing countries and cities.

Ulquiorra now padded over a great bridge leading to a busy city named Karakura Town. He had learned over three-hundred years ago how to shape-shift, and found it to be less of a nuisance to travel as an animal by day and fly through the cool, night air as a winged demon by night. This allowed him to travel from city to city, country to country, without drawing any suspicion to himself.

His claws clicked against the cement sidewalk as he slipped between small groups of people. Another thing he learned was that many people never suspected a stray dog that was wandering around. Actually on a couple of occasions a few families or individuals took him in, giving him ridiculous names like Shadow, Fritzy, Killer, Domino, or Sage, but he never stayed with those people more than a month.

There was this one woman who took him in and had somehow missed that he was a male and had named him Princess and put him in a ghastly pink collar. He was able to put up with her for three days before he had finally had enough and slipped through the back gate.

Ulquiorra caught his reflection in a car window. It really was not a surprise that so many people would want him as a pet. He was a medium-large dog that could have been mistaken as a black husky. He had slightly shaggy, ink black fur, a muscular build along with a couple of scars he got from the constant traveling and occasional fight with other dogs, and gorgeous, bright green eyes. He was every dog show judge's greatest dream, even with the few scars he had obtained over the centuries.

He finally made it over the bridge and made his way down to the riverbed. The sun was setting now and he was tired from three days and nights of nonstop travel. He lowered his muzzle down to the rippling water and lapped up the cold water until his belly was full.

A little boy with brown hair wearing a pair of blue coveralls and a blue and yellow stripped, long-sleeved shirt walked past on the sidewalk on top of the bank. "Mommy, Mommy," he exclaimed, "look at the pretty doggie!"

The woman took one look at Ulquiorra and hurried her son along. Not all humans were so trusting towards him.

Ulquiorra laid down under the bridge and watched the red, orange, and gold hues cast from the setting sun dance on the water. He absolutely despised large towns like this. The air was polluted, there was constant noise, and countless people rushing their lives away. If he had the luxury of limited time like they did, he would be using it wisely; unlike the majority of people he had met throughout the years.

A young woman who must have been in her teens suddenly skidded down the bank and stood at the water's edge. She had long, orange-red hair, an hourglass figure that was slightly more top heavy, shining gray eyes, and light blue hairpins. She was smiling and holding her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun that was now perpendicular to her.

"Wow, Tatsuki, you've got to look at this!" She exclaimed. Her voice was kind, sweet, and warm. It gently hummed in Ulquiorra's ears like a lullaby.

Another girl walked down the stone steps leading to the water. She had short, spiky black hair and had just enough of a figure to distinguish that she was, indeed, a female. Both girls were wearing gray skirts and white t-shirts with a red sash tied around their necks.

"What, it's just a sunset, Orihime," the second girl named Tatsuki said. "They happen every day."

"I know," the first girl, Orihime, said, "but they're so pretty! I just can't help but stare at them whenever I'm here!"

Ulquiorra inhaled deeply and released all of the air out of his nose. This woman was definitely something else. He closed his eyes and was starting to drift off to sleep when the voices got close, really close.

"Tatsuki, come here! Quick!" Orihime yelled.

"What is it, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked, her voice filled with worry.

"Look at this dog! Do you think it's dead? The poor thing. It's all alone and living under the bridge."

Ulquiorra heard the gravel at his nose crunch as someone stepped in front of him. The smell of strawberries filled his nostrils and he opened his eyes. The orange-red haired woman was kneeling in front of him.

"Maybe I should bring her home," Orihime suggested. Ulquiorra huffed at being called a female.

"Come on, Orihime," Tatsuki scolded. "The dog's obviously a stray. Who knows what kind of diseases it has."

Ulquiorra growled deep in his throat. "I do not have any diseases, you trash."

Tatsuki jumped back and Orihime lost her balance; earning her a slightly painful landing on her butt.

"Orihime, get away from that thing!" Tatsuki shouted, but she didn't. She just sat there and stared at Ulquiorra with a blank expression on her face.

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Move, Orihime," Tatsuki yelled, "he's gonna bite you!"

Ulquiorra huffed again at the annoying girl who was yelling like an idiot and walked over to the water's edge. He laid down in the grass and watched the stars twinkle in the water.

Tatsuki pulled Orihime up on her feet and pulled her over to the stone steps. "Come on, Orihime, we're getting out of her. That dog seriously has some issues and it's getting late. My mom will throw a fit if I'm not back before curfew."

"A-alright," Orihime followed her friend up the steps and looked back at the dog lying beside the river. She couldn't quite tell what it was, but something about it seemed strange. It was almost as if the dog had been alive for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

An hour passed and Ulquiorra grew restless. That girl, Orihime, kept popping into his mind. If he dozed off, she was there. If he looked at the stars on the water, she was there. If he closed his eyes, she was there. It was madening.

He finally stood up and morphed back into the winged demon form he was more comfortable in and launched into the air. It was a calm, cool night, despite the heat from earlier that afternoon, and that made it easier for him to catch wind of the girl's aura. It was warm and as bright as the sun. It would have been impossible for a blind man to miss it.

He followed the trail to a small apartment complex and changed back into a dog behind a shed in a yard across the street. It was a fairly nice neighborhood, but there was still obvious signs of crime as he crossed the road to the housing complex. Trashcans were covered in graffiti, suspicious cars with even shadier people sitting inside them were parked on the road, and there was a faint odor that Ulquiorra could not place, neither did he want to.

He climbed up the stairs, following the fresh smell of strawberries, and found himself standing outside one of the doors on the third level or so. There was a light on inside and he heard the faint sound of footsteps scuttling around inside.

"So she did make it home," Ulquiorra thought, and walked back down the staircase. He found a large box sitting underneath the stairs and laid down inside. It was late and he was tired. Who cared if he was just two stories below the girl he followed? He was going to get a good night's sleep.

If only his mind would let him.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Orihime woke up to the sound of birds chirping wildly and the dazzling, bright sunlight shining in her eyes. She slowly sat up and stretched. She had dreamed about the dog she saw under the bridge most of the night, and the more she thought about it the worse she felt.

"The poor thing," she muttered to herself as she changed into her school uniform, "I wonder if it's still there." She grabbed her schoolbag and walked out the small apartment door; securely locking both of the locks before sliding down the handrail on the stairs.

The birds were chirping even wilder now and Orihime started to hear a small mob of squirrels chattering angrily as she reached the bottom step. It was coming from around the corner of the building complex where there was a small yard with greenish-yellow grass and a huge, half dead Sakura Blossom tree tucked away in the corner. "What's going on over there?"

Orihime slowly crept around the corner and gasped at what she saw. There was a hoard of about thirty birds and ten squirrels in the yard. The birds were diving down at a fairly large, black dog and the squirrels were scurrying at its feet to throw it off balance.

The dog was the same one she had seen under the bridge yesterday. He was leaping off the ground, snatching birds out of the air in his mouth with an audible crunch, and killing the occasional squirrel with his ivory fangs once he swallowed the birds whole. It was a regular killing spree.

Orihime ran out into the yard and flailed her arms over her head. "Hey, you get out of here and leave her alone!" The squirrels bolted for the large tree and the birds perched themselves on the electrical wires running from the poles to the apartment complex.

Ulquiorra stared at Orihime in slight annoyance. She had called him a female again. He would have to do something to correct her assumption that did not require him to degrade himself in such ways as rolling over on his back and exposing his belly and other sensitive areas.

Orihime slowly approached Ulquiorra and held out her hand. "Come on, girl," she said sweetly, "I won't hurt you."

Ulquiorra made no advance towards Orihime. He was getting rather tired of being called a female, and thought it to be degrading to sniff her hand as she expected him to. Instead he walked around her in a ten foot radius and back to the cardboard box he had slept in last night. He looked back and noticed that she had followed him to his quarters and was standing over him where he now laid.

"Is this where you've been staying, girl?" Orihime asked. She felt bad for the dog. First it was sleeping under the bridge. Now it was living in a cardboard box just two stories below her apartment.

Ulquiorra had had enough of being called a female. He growled slightly and readjusted his hind legs so his gender could be made known. It was not as degrading as rolling over, but it got the message through.

Orihime noticed the obvious male genitalia slightly protruding from under the dog's lower belly and blushed slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry, boy."

Ulquiorra huffed and closed his eyes. It was about time this woman realized he was a male.

"Well, I have to go to school now," Orihime told him, "but here." She dug in her bag and took out her lunch box. She gave him half of the sweet and spicy chicken covered in wasabi sauce and whipped cream. "You can have this. I don't think my landlord would like it very much if he saw you killing birds and squirrels." She reached out to pet him on the head and he growled; she instantly retracted her hand and smiled. "I'll see you later."

And with that, she left. Ulquiorra watched her carefully as she crossed the street and merged with the sea of people going to work. She was a strange girl with even stranger tastes in food. He sniffed the food she had put in front of him and licked it slightly. He automatically gagged and jumped out of his box to get away from the thing sitting at the entrance.

"What the hell is that?" He wondered. "Is that woman trying to poison me?" He pawed at the strange concoction and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "She must have a stomach of steel to be able to ingest this." He walked over to the other side of the box and pushed it over so the "food" was no longer blocking his entrance and laid down inside; watching the road and waiting for the girl to return.

* * *

"Tatsuki," Orihime exclaimed, "you'll never guess who I found outside my apartment this morning!"  
"Who?" Tatsuki asked, obviously confused and curious who had been at Orihime's house this morning.

"That dog we saw under the bridge yesterday! He must have followed me home. I found him sleeping in a cardboard box under the stairs just two stories below my apartment door!" Orihime knew this wasn't the truth, but if she had told Tatsuki that she saw him snatching birds out of the air and swallowing them whole she would go into her protective mode.

"I think you should call the dog catcher, Orihime," Tatsuki replied after a minute of thought. "I don't think he's a safe dog to be around."

"Why do you say that? I fed him some of my lunch before I left this morning and he only growled at me when I tried to pet him. But I guess that was more my fault, he probably felt cornered and was defending himself."

Tatsuki sighed. "It's not that, Orihime. There's just something in that dog's eyes that worries me. It's almost like he would kill anyone, and has."

"Really? I don't think that at all. I actually think he could be a very sweet pet once you get past his cold defenses." Orihime thought for a moment. "That's what I'll do! I'll take him in and give him a good, warm and loving home!"

The dark haired teen slapped her forehead at her friend's over active imagination and took a deep breath. "Alright, Orihime, just remember that if he gets vicious to call me, a dog catcher, or the cops," Tatsuki informed.

"Don't worry, Tatsuki. I'm sure he'll behave just fine." Orihime was so excited that Tatsuki approved of her taking care of the dog that she could hardly sit still for the rest of the day. Visions of her going home and the dog happily wagging his tail and jumping up to lick her face filled her head. She couldn't wait to get home.

After school Orihime stopped by the pet store and picked up a few things that she would need once she got the dog to settle down in his new home: a red nylon leash, a black collar, a tennis ball, a raw hide the size of her thigh, a bag of treats, and a food and water dish.

"You know you get a free tag when you buy a collar," the woman behind the counter said. "Would you like for me to inscribe your information on it along with your dog's name?"

Orihime looked down at the small yellow tag in the clerk's hand. She hadn't thought of a name for the dog yet. How could she have forgotten such a simple thing?

"Um, well, I haven't thought of a name for him yet. I just got him recently and he has one of those personalities that's hard to give a good name," Orihime explained.

"Don't worry about it, Hon," the clerk said. "I can just put your name, address, and phone number on the back of the tag, and when you've thought of a name you can bring it back in with your reciept and I'll engrave your dog's name on it for free."

"Really? Oh thank you very much," Orihime exclaimed. She payed for her items and ran out of the store.

Ulquiorra yawned. It was boring waiting here for the woman to return. He didn't even know why he was waiting for her. He never spent two nights in the same spot. The only times he did were when he had lived with other humans and that was only because they had enclosed him in a limited space. This woman had left him in the wide open. He could have left at any time, so why hadn't he?

There was the sound of running feet smacking against the concrete and Ulquiorra lifted his head. The woman was rushing towards him; cradling a brown paper bag in the crook of her arm. She knelt down in front of him and smiled. "Hi, boy, how are you?"

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. He found it strange that this woman was talking to him as if he would reply. Humans were so strange.

Orihime reached out to pet him again and he growled lightly. "You still don't want to be touched?" She stood up and rubbed the side of her head. "How am I going to get the collar on you if you don't like to be touched? Oh well," she started climbing the steps and called down to him, "come on, boy."

Ulquiorra didn't move. He just stared at her with a confused look. Why would she want him to follow her? Even the humans who took him in before never just picked him up off the street like this. They usually got him at a shelter or someplace when he occasionally got caught by a dog catcher.

"Come on," Orihime repeated cheerfully and gently patted her leg. That usually worked to get a dog to come, right?

Ulquiorra slowly stood up and walked over to the foot of the steps. He stared at Orihime confusingly and hesitantly followed her up the stairs. For some reason she liked it when he did that. He knew this because she was giggling to herself and practically jumping up and down outside her apartment as she tried to dig her keys out of her schoolbag. In fact, she was so jumpy that when she finally got the keys out, she somehow dropped them over the rail behind her.

"A strange woman," Ulquiorra thought.

Orihime leaned over the rail to the point where she almost fell over herself. "Oh no," she cried. "That was my only set!" Ulquiorra joined her at the rail and looked down. There was an old man sitting on a bench next to the cardboard box and the keys were stuck in the rim of his hat.

"What is this woman so worried about?" Ulquiorra wondered. "I'll just go and get the keys." He backtracked down the stairs and walked over to the man sitting on the bench.

The old man was wearing a brown suit that matched the hat and brown leather shoes. He had beady, black eyes behind a pair of thick bifocals, thin, white hair, and was reading a newspaper. When Ulquiorra jumped up onto the bench, he put the paper down and stared at him.

"Well, aren't you a handsome dog?" the old man said, folding the newspaper and setting it down on the opposite side of him. "Where did you come from?"

Again with people talking to him like he was going to reply.

The old man held his hand up, palm out, and let stay there. Ulquiorra found it interesting how he wasn't trying to pet him and sniffed his open palm. The man smelled of peppermint and caramel. It wasn't the best mixture in the world but it wasn't horrible.

"Good boy," the old man said, and gently stroked Ulquiorra's neck. "That's a very good boy."

Orihime watched in awe. She had tried to pet the dog twice, and both time he had growled at her. Not menacingly, but enough to make her retract her hand. And here her landlord was petting him like it was nothing. How did he do that?

Ulquiorra knew not to bite someone just because they wanted to pet him; especially if they were elderly people like the old man. He sat there and let the man run his shaky hand over the fur of his neck, and when he had had enough he pulled away from him.

"Well, aren't you a sight," the old man laughed. "I don't think I've ever met a politer dog in my life. In fact, I don't think I've ever even met a person as polite as you are. Except for say the young lady living in the apartment two levels up."  
"He must mean the woman," Ulquiorra thought, and looked at the old man's hat. The keys were lying on the rim. He stood up, reached out his muzzle, and plucked them from the old man without disturbing the hat's position.

"What's that, old boy?" The landlord asked, and tilted the keys so he could read them through his bifocals. "Why, these are Miss Inoue's keys."

Ulquiorra jumped off the bench and climbed the stairway again. Orihime just watched him in shock as he stood in front of her with the keys dangling from his teeth. Her landlord came up shortly after and smiled at her.

"Miss Inoue, I assume this is your dog?" he asked.

"Y-yes, Mr. Taka," Orihime stuttered. "I hope you don't mind. I know how you are about having animals that weigh more than seven pounds in the building, but I found him sleeping under the bridge and thought I would give him a good home. Please don't be mad."

The landlord laughed. "Relax, Miss Inoue, I don't mind if you keep the dog. He's probably one of the nicest beasts I've ever seen. Why, if my wife saw him she'd say he was just as much the gentleman I am, if not more."

"So it's alright if he stays in my apartment?" Orihime asked.

"It's alright with me," Mr. Taka repeated. "Just make sure he doesn't cause too much of a disturbance, I hardly doubt he will." He patted Ulquiorra on the head, shook Orihime's hand, and walked back down the stairs.

Orihime unlocked the door and walked inside. Ulquiorra followed her in as far as the coffee table and stopped. She collapsed onto the couch and placed the bag of dog accessories on the table; pulling the collar out of it and holding it up to see the tag.

"It's weird. You're either a very well trained dog, or you can understand every word I say," Orihime held her hand up and waited for Ulquiorra to do something. "Is it alright if I pet you?"

Ulquiorra exhaled and sniffed her hand in approval.

Orihime copied Mr. Taka's example and smoothed out the fur on Ulquiorra's neck. Despite it's appearance, it was thick and soft. "You really are a gentleman, aren't you? If only Gentleman was a good name."

Ulquiorra had enough of being pet and pulled away. He turned around and observed the small apartment. It was slightly cluttered with nick-knacks and smelled like the woman. He walked over to a corner and laid down.

Orihime dug through her schoolbag and pulled out The Phantom of the Opera. She was supposed to read chapters five through eight, but she loved the book so much she had already read it three times. She opened the it to chapter five and imagined that she was Christine and that her crush, Ichigo Kurosaki, was Raoul.

It was ironic though. She didn't like the Christine-Raoul pairing very much. Actually she didn't like Raoul at all. The only reason she pictured Ichigo as Raoul was because she knew he and Christine ended up together. The man she really loved in the story was the Phantom, Erik. Both Raoul and Erik were gentleman, to some extent, but she couldn't help but have feelings towards the phantom.

Orihime's eyes shot wide open. She sat up and looked at the dog sleeping in the corner of the room. "Here, boy," she whistled.

Ulquiorra was saved from yet another nightmare of the day when he was forced to live a life of torment by the beautiful voice that belonged to the woman who was sitting on the couch. He stood up and slowly walked over to her after stretching every muscle in his body.

Orihime put her book down and held Ulquiorra's head in her hands. It was so abrupt that he didn't even have the time to growl. He just stood there glaring at the woman for being so forward.

"I think I found a name for you," she exclaimed, "Phantom?"

Ulquiorra forgot his slight annoyance at the woman and mulled over the name. The other people who took him in just gave him a name and expected him to obey it. This woman was letting him decide whether or not he liked the name. He closed his eyes and huffed in acceptance.

Orihime jumped up off the couch so fast she pulled Ulquiorra along with her. "Yes! I knew you understood me! Now I have a new dog and he likes his name!"

Ulquiorra struggled out of her grip and growled at her. His hackles raised and his fangs were bared. "Do NOT do that again!"

Orihime laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, Phantom, I just got excited. Now I can go back to the pet store tomorrow and get your name engraved on your collar!" She put the collar down and glanced at the clock.

"Oh my gosh, it's six o'clock already? I have to make supper!" She practically skipped out of the living room, singing to herself as she did so, and went into the kitchen. Ulquiorra stared after her. What had he gotten himself into?


	4. Chapter 4

Ulquiorra followed a very elated Orihime through her house and into a small bedroom. There was a decent sized bed in the corner next to a window that had a fluffy, hot pink comforter draped over it and at least five, plump, oversized pillows. The rest of the room seemed to follow suit. Everything was some type of girl's color, be it pink, yellow, or purple, and had a squishy, fluffy look. Besides Ulquiorra, the only things that looked out of place were the lime green blanket at the foot of her bed and a bean-bag chair in the corner next to her closet that was a navy blue color but twice the size of a normal bean bag chair.

Dinner had been an experience Ulquiorra would never forget. The woman had made some foul concoction for herself that had consisted of pickles, red bean paste, apricot jelly, barbeque pork, and cheese covered french fries sprinkled with chili powder and Tabasco sauce. The smell of the bubbling mixture had been enough to siphon the air out of his lungs for a good two minutes.

However, what she had prepared for him was just as bad, if not worse. She had realized that she had forgotten to pick up dog food at the pet store and decided to improvise, so she grounded up two or three dog treats and put them in his bowl. After that she added a can of tuna, half an onion, two slices of Kraft cheese, leftover pizza she had found in the very back of the fridge (she had taken a bite of it to make sure it was still good), pickles, some of her barbeque pork, and had topped it off with a raw egg; hearing that eggs were good for keeping a dog's coat nice and glossy. When Ulquiorra had refused to eat it, she simply assumed that he wasn't hungry.

"And this is my room," Orihime said excitedly. "Well, I guess it's our room now," she quickly corrected herself. She sat down on her bed and looked around. "I know it's not much, but it's home."

Ulquiorra stood in the doorway and inhaled the pleasant aroma of strawberries. It wasn't much, but it was a thousand times better than the odor emitting from the kitchen right now. He was snapped out of his scent induced high by Orihime's high pitched yell.

"Oh no! I forgot to buy a bed for you too!" She cried, and ran over to her closet. "Hold on. I think I have an old blanket in here for you to use for now."

Ulquiorra watched her as she dug through mounds of clothes, unable to tell whether they were dirty or not, and other miscellaneous wares. He looked over her crouched over back at the bean-bag chair in the corner. "Why does she have an oversized pillow in the corner?"

He jumped over Orihime, his tail tickling the slightly exposed skin of her waist, and examined the chair. It wasn't his first time seeing one of these things, but it was his first time being in such a close proximity of one. He sniffed it and gently placed a paw in the concaved middle; only to pull it away in shock.

It was soft and plush, but something had moved inside it when he had stepped on the leathery upholstery. He tried again and let his paw sink into the shifting material. It stopped shortly after and there was no more movement coming from within the encasing.

He placed his other paw on the leathery surface and felt something inside move again. Only it moved both of his feet instead of just one like he had expected. The shock caused him to lose his footing and he fell flat on his side. Laughter filled the room and Ulquiorra turned his head to see the woman laughing at him.

"I'm sorry, Phantom," Orihime gasped between her fits of laughter. "You just look so silly!"

Ulquiorra quickly sat up and turned his back towards her. "How do I look funny, Woman? I fell. There is nothing humorous about that." He stood up and glared at the bean-bag chair. "You made me look like a fool." He crouched down and sprang onto the shifting surface of the chair; only to lose his footing again and fall off after a minute of trying to maintain his balance.

Orihime erupted in a new fit of laughter and fell over onto her side; clutching her stomach. Tears were forming underneath her eyelids and her cheeks were a lush rosy color. If it weren't for the fact that she was laughing at him, Ulquiorra would have thought that she looked rather cute.

Ulquiorra got up and growled at the bean-bag chair. It had just made itself a foe that was necessary for him to defeat. He crouched down into his attack position and froze. The woman was still watching him. If he failed again, she would definitely laugh at him. He huffed and laid down with his back to the over stuffed pillow chair.

"Don't be such a baby, Phantom," Orihime finally said after subduing her laughing spell. "It's not that bad."

Ulquiorra huffed again and turned his head away from her so he was looking at her bed. He couldn't see either the woman or the bean-bag chair this way, so it was a win-win situation.

Orihime smiled. She had never seen a dog so easy to embarrass. He had just fell off the chair, but he was acting like he had just lost a battle or something. It was kind of cute.

"I know. What if I didn't look while you tried to tame the evil bean-bag chair?" Orihime tried to sound menacing and held her hands up like claws.

Ulquiorra looked back at her. "I don't need your pity, woman. Do not mock me." He shifted so he was lying down at an angle where the chair was on his right and the woman was on his left. Unfortunately, it would make it easier for him to try and defeat the squishy pillow's surface if she wasn't watching.

Orihime got the hint and grabbed her pajamas that were draped over the foot-board of her bed. She walked over to another door across the room from her bed and turned around. "I'm going to change into my pajamas. Don't you try and peek," she teased, and closed the door.

"I said don't mock me," Ulquiorra thought slightly annoyed. He turned towards the bean-bag chair again and paused. Something was telling him to make sure the woman was really changing and not just spying on him from behind the door.

He finally succumbed to the urge and walked silently over to the door. It appeared closed, but there could have been some way of looking out with it shut. He sniffed the half-inch crack at the base of the door; the woman wasn't kneeling on the other side. He looked through the keyhole and found that she couldn't be peering through it. Finally he stood up on his hind legs and placed his front paws on the door; the top of his head reaching a little more than three-fourths of the way up the door. If it had been open, it wasn't anymore.

He walked back over to the bean-bag chair, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the woman wasn't spying on him, and took his crouching position. This time he was going to get it. He sprang onto the chair and kept his limbs languid instead of locking them like before. The material shifted beneath him for about a minute before it stopped.

Ulquiorra smirked to himself in a secret pride. He had tamed the oversized pillow that had made a fool of him in front of the woman. He slowly stepped in the chair to mat it down, without much luck, and laid down. It smelled of the woman and caused him to succumb to a light doze almost instantly.

Orihime finished changing into her gray sweatpants and light blue tank top and exited the bathroom. She smiled when she saw Ulquiorra sleeping in the bean-bag chair and quietly picked up the thin, green blanket lying at the foot of her bed. "Good night, Phantom," she whispered, covered him in the blanket, and kissed the top of his head before climbing into her own bed.

* * *

Orihime woke up that morning and glanced at her alarm clock in a sleepy daze. She was late for school. "Oh no! I forgot about the math final today!" She jumped quietly out of bed and quickly changed into her school uniform.

"Of all days to sleep in, why did it have to be today?" she muttered to herself as she grabbed her schoolbag and ran out the door; barely remembering to lock it as she left. She slid down the railing and sprinted all the way to school. Somehow managing not to get hit by a bus, five cars, two motorcyclists, and a kid riding a bike.

"Orihime, it's about time you got here," Tatsuki said as she entered the schoolyard. "The final's about to start."

"I know," Orihime panted. "I must have slept through my alarm." A mysterious pair of arms encircled her just below bust; cutting off any oxygen going to her lungs.

"You're here!" A red haired girl with glasses exclaimed. "I thought you were never going to come! I can't work without you here!"

The red head was thrown from Orihime's body by Tatsuki's foot landing square in her stomach. "If you didn't worry about whether or not you would be able to grope Orihime and studied more, you would do better on tests like these!" she scolded.

The bell rang and Orihime yelped. "Ah! We better get to class before they start the exam!" She ran into the school and ran into someone as she rounded the corner.

"Hey, watch where you're going," an orange haired boy with brown eyes said. "Oh, sorry, Orihime. I didn't know that was you."

Orihime looked up at the boy and blushed. She had just run into Ichigo, and he was apologizing to her! She could hardly breathe.

"Ichigo," Tatsuki shouted before slamming Ichigo into the wall, "what the hell's wrong with you? I know this math exam is important, but you don't need to be pushing girls around like that."

"N-no, Tatsuki, it's not like that at all," Orihime rushed as she stood up. "I accidentally ran into him. It's my fault."

"Oh," Tatsuki let go of Ichigo's shirt collar, "sorry, Ichigo."

"Don't sweat it," Ichigo replied, dusting off his shirt. "You're just looking out for Orihime. It's no big deal." He picked up his bag and walked down the hall to the classroom.

Orihime could hardly believe it. She had actually talked to him! Not only that, but he had talked back! This was the best day of her life.

The second bell rang and she was pulled out of Orihime World and into the real world. She was missing one of the biggest exams of the school year. She ran down the hall and into the classroom just in time to sit down in her desk before the teacher walked in to take attendance, before locking the door to make sure all of the students who were tardy didn't take the test.

Ulquiorra woke up to something soft and fuzzy tickling his nose. He lazily opened his eyes and saw that he was covered in a lime green blanket. "Where did this come from?" He glanced over at the empty bed. "And where is the woman?"

There was a clock on the nightstand that read 11:46. Ulquiorra guessed that she had probably gone to school, or whatever she called it. He stepped off the bean-bag chair and stretched. It had been awhile since he woke up so refreshed.

He walked out of the woman's room and down the hall to the kitchen. The foul odor from last night had dissipated and he was able to search the room thoroughly for something to eat. There was a box sitting on the counter wrapped in an orange cloth that he remembered the woman keeping food in. She had either forgotten her lunch or had taken a different box.

Ulquiorra triple checked his surroundings and morphed into his winged form. The ceiling was just barely high enough for the lights to be out of the way of his giant, black wings. He unwrapped the soft cloth and opened lifted the lid. There was a mixture of food inside that scared him. He quickly closed the box and tied the cloth around it tightly like the meal would jump out at him at any moment. She had forgotten her lunch, if not some new species of creature that had plummeted out of the sky in a meteor.

Uqluiorra sat there for a good five minutes staring at the box; his tail swishing back and forth. Should he bring the woman her lunch? Should he just leave it sitting on the counter? Should he continue his search for something edible in this house? These questions buzzed around in his head like aggravated hornets in their nest.

Finally, he grabbed the box and held it at arm's length. He would bring the woman her lunch, but only this one time. It was hard to believe that he was doing it now.

The door was easy to unlock and re-lock while he was in his winged form and still had human, or somewhat human, hands. Trying to close the door, however, was slightly difficult in his dog form. He set the box down on the floor next to the doorway and grabbed the doorknob in his jaws. It hurt his teeth somewhat, but he got the door closed after about five minutes of effort.

"I am only doing this once, and only once. If she forgets her nutrients again, she will just have to go hungry," Ulquiorra thought. The term nutrients matched the strange array of items she had sealed away in the box better than food.

He shuffled down the staircase and sniffed the ground, only to have the scent of the concoction in the box fill his nostrils. It made his head spin and his empty stomach lurched. There was an acidic taste crawling at the back of his tongue, but he fought the urge to vomit. He set the box down and tried catching the woman's scent again. "That way."

Ulquiorra clutched the cloth containing the box in his teeth and started down the street. The people who were sitting inside the occasional café, restaurant, or eating on an outside patio during their lunch break stared at him in bewilderment. He had no idea why. He was just bringing the woman her lunch. He had seen people do it many times before. What was so strange about him doing it.

He stopped at the corner with a small group of people and waited for the signal to turn green so he could cross without getting hit by a car. This caused every human standing there to gaze at him with dumbstruck eyes. The light turned green and the sign changed to WALK. He padded along the crosswalk in front of the idiotic people who must not have noticed the light change.

"Humans," Ulquiorra huffed. "What simple creatures."

Once or twice he lost the woman's scent and had to set the box down to find it again, but that was it. He was at a giant building that had her scent spread out evenly throughout the grounds. He would just follow the freshest scent to find where she was.

People were staring at him here too. He had accidentally interrupted a baseball game when the ball was flying straight at him and he caught it in an instant; causing the students to gape at him. Next he walked in on a Photography class and practically went blind from all of the flashing cameras. After that he somehow made his way into a room filled with students, fridges, and ovens; the people there had tried to coax him further into the class with food, but once he had his fill of practically every dish in the room he left. Finally he found a room where the woman's scent radiated through the door, but it was locked.

This worried Ulquiorra somewhat. Why would the woman be inside a locked room? He remembered back when he was human. Whenever someone was locked inside a room, they were either being imprisoned, killed, or worse yet, severely tortured.

Ulquorra pawed at the door. It didn't budge. He tried again. Nothing.

"Ah!" The woman's voice sounded on the other side of the door.

Something inside Ulquiorra snapped. He started scratching and gnawing at the door, but to no avail. That's when he backed up to the point where his flanks were pressed against the opposite wall and rammed his shoulder into the door.

"Ah!" Orihime whined. "First I almost miss one of the biggest tests of the year, then I practically bomb the first half of it, and now I find out that I forgot my lunch at home! Today just isn't my day!"

"And talking to Ichigo this morning wasn't a plus?" a short, black haired girl teased her friend. "I would have thought that you would've liked that part."

Orihime's face suddenly turned into a thermometer. "Rukia, be quiet! He might hear you!"

"Oh, come on, Orihime," Rukia laughed. "I honestly doubt that he would even figure out that you have a thing for him if you wrote it out on his lawn with rope lights in the middle of the night. He's not a thing like Renji."

"Hey, speaking of Renji. How is he?" Tatsuki asked.

Renji was Rukia's boyfried of five years. He had graduated a year ago and had gone into the Marine Corps because his dad had forced him to. He was tall and had blazing red hair and tattoos covering his whole body; that Orihime had ever seen that is.

"Oh, he's fine," Rukia said. "I just visited him the other day actually, and let me tell you, that place hasn't done a thing to round that man's energy."

"That's gross," Tatsuki grimaced.

"I don't get it. What's so gross about it?" Orihime asked, innocently.

Tatsuki whispered in her innocent friend's ear. Orihime's face lit up like a thousand candles. "Rukia!"

Just then there was a loud BANG against the door. The girls in the class screamed and the boys all jumped out of their seats and swore loudly. It had sounded like someone was trying to break in with a battering ram.

"What was that?" Orihime asked frantically.

"I have no idea," Tatsuki replied. She was one of the few students who had kept her cool, along with Uryu Ishida, Chad, and Ichigo.

There was another loud BANG against the door. The teacher slowly walked over to it and peered through the glass. "That's odd. There's no one out there," she said.

BANG!

"It's kind of hard to believe that there's no one out there when somethings ramming against the door like that," Orihime breathed, or lost the ability to do.

The teacher unlocked the door and slid it open slightly. A raging ball of black fur barreled through the small opening; knocking the woman's feet out from under her and making her fall flat on her face.

Ulquiorra sat up in a daze. One second he was running towards the door, and the next he had hit something fleshy and toppled tail over whiskers into the room. There was a different woman with long brown hair tied up in a red ponytail wearing a red, long-sleeved shirt heaving herself onto her hands and knees. There was blood seeping between the fingers of the hand covering her nose.

"Where did that mutt come from!" the teacher shouted.

Orihime gasped. "Oh my god, Phantom!"

Ulquiorra growled slightly. "I have more of a pedigree in my ring finger than you do in your whole family history, woman. Don't you call me a mongrel."

He stood up and scanned the room. His woman was sitting in a desk no more than ten feet away from him. He picked up the box lying at his feet and walked over to her desk. She stared at him in disbelief, along with the rest of the class, as he rested his front paws on her desk and placed the lunchbox in her hands.

An eerie silence filled the room as Ulquiorra placed his paws firmly on solid ground and laid down next to Orihime's chair, head and ears raised and fully alert. His eyes darted around the room and memorized everyone's faces and scents. There was one individual he disliked more than the others just from his smell.

"Orihime," the teacher finally addressed, "is that your dog?"

Orihime looked from Ulquiorra to her teacher. "Y-yes, but I have no idea how he got here. I-I mean I know how he got here, but I don't know how he found me, much less how he got out of my house. I'm sure I locked it up before I left."

Ulquiorra huffed in amusement. Locks did little good when he was in his winged state. Very few things did.

"I don't care how he got here or how he got out of your house," the teacher said with a bit more authority. "He can't stay in the room. Take him outside or else you won't be able to finish the exam after lunch."

"But, Ms. Kurenai, Phantom wouldn't hurt a fly. Can't he just stay here? I promise he won't cause any trouble," Orihime half lied. He wouldn't hurt a fly, but he would kill and eat birds and squirrels no problem.

Ms. Kurenai stared skeptically at the large dog lying at Orihime's feet. She knew dogs were not allowed in the school unless they were part of a drug search or were involved with the police in any other way. However, he didn't seem to be making much of a fuss now that he was with Orihime. "Alright, but the second he starts causing any problems he's gone."

"Thank you, Ms. Kurenai," Orihime exclaimed, and gently stroked Ulquiorra's neck. He didn't growl.

It didn't really matter whether or not Ulquiorra was able to stay in the classroom or not. Everyone went outside during lunch, and he followed Orihime to the giant tree standing in the outskirts of the school property.

"Wow, Orihime, you sure have him well trained," Chizuru complimented. "How long have you had him?"

"Well, actually I've only had him for two days," Orihime laughed awkwardly.

"No way," Rukia exclaimed. "Where did you get him?"

"Tatsuki and I found him lying under the bridge the other day, and yesterday morning I found him sleeping in a cardboard box two stories below my apartment." Orihime held a piece of mystery concoction in front of Ulquiorra's nose. He turned his head in the opposite direction.

"But I'm starting to worry," Orihime admitted. "He hasn't eaten a thing since yesterday. Do you guys think I should bring him to the vet?"

Ulquiorra's ears pricked up. Vet was one word he absolutely hated. He had only been to the vet twice ever since he found out how to shape-shift, and in both occasions he almost bit the doctor's hand off.

"I don't think it's that serious, but since we found him sleeping under a bridge you should probably take him in to make sure he's healthy," Tatsuki suggested. "I'd hate to find out he's not vaccinated for rabies."

Rabies, yet another word Ulquiorra hated. He had been bitten by a rabid fox about one-hundred years ago. It drove him insane. He was thirsty all the time, but water revolted him. He wanted to bite everything, and did. The smallest sound was like a jack-hammer going off in his head. It took at least ten years for his body to finally reject the disease, and the two vets he had gone to were amazed by his immune system.

There was a high-pitched whistle coming from the school. Ulquiorra stood up and went to investigate what was causing the irritating sound.

"Where did your dog go?" Chizuru asked.

"Maybe he smelled something he liked," Rukia suggested.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a nasally voice asked.

Orihime, Rukia, Tatsuki, and Chizuru spun around so fast the world tilted on its axis. There was a group of eight senior boys from a school across town staring at them. One of the boys had unruly, blonde hair, a lip piercing, and a black stocking cap on his head. Two of the others looked like twins with cropped, brown hair and eyebrow piercings. There was a red head, a blonde, and a black haired boy who all had a visible muscular build under their uniforms and nose rings. One of the boys was huge, in both height and width, and was also wearing a stocking hat. Finally there was their leader, an average sized boy with no muscle at all, dread-locks, and an eyebrow, lip, and nose piercing. They all reeked of cigarette smoke.

"It looks like we got us a couple of girls who decided to lunch a little too far away from anyone in charge, Boss," the blonde wearing the cap giggled.

"They look a little lonely, don't they boys?" the leader asked. The rest of his cronies snickered.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tatsuki half growled. "You don't go to this school."

"What? Can't we honor you girls with our company?" the leader asked. The twins sat down on either side of Rukia, the red head and blonde without the stocking cap surrounded Chizuru, the boy with black hair and the blonde wearing the stocking hat sat down and wrapped their arms around Orihime's shoulders, and the leader and his extra muscle trapped Tatsuki between them. "You never know what kind of freak might come along."

"I'm looking at eight creeps right now. Let go of us!" Tatsuki shouted.

The two boys who were holding Orihime laughed and squeezed her tighter. The blonde covered her mouth to muffle any yell that might have escaped her throat. "But they look like they're having so much fun," the leader said, and the other boys followed suit. The next thing any of them knew Tatsuki, Rukia, and Chizuru all had their mouths covered.

Orihime could feel one of the boy's hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt while the other one drew circles on her skin. This wasn't happening. She had to have been dreaming!

Tatsuki was the only one who was really putting up a fight, but even that did little good. The others were held together so tight they could hardly breathe.

"Let them go," a mysterious voice ordered.

Orihime turned her head the best she could and saw Ichigo standing no more than two yards away.

"Hmph, or what, carrot top?" the leader scoffed. "Are you going to tell the teacher on us?

Ichigo punched the leader square in the nose.

"AH! You Bastard, you're gonna pay for that! Get him Cane!"

The biggest of the boys in the group let go of Tatsuki and moved nimbly for a person his size. He was able to pin Ichigo to the ground without breaking a sweat. He didn't even get touched by any of Ichigo's advances.

"Hahaha, you see, carrot top? You can't beat my man, Cane! He's so strong that they check him for steroids whenever he goes into a tournament!" The leader laughed.

Orihime could only watch in horror as the brute named Cane slowly sunk Ichigo's head into the ground. Blood was gushing out of his nose and you could see his left eye start to swell and bruise. There was no way this could be real!

A menacing growl ripped through the air like a jet engine. All of the seniors jumped and turned towards the noise. A giant, black dog with blazing green eyes was glaring at them with murderous intent. His lips were pulled back, revealing pearly white fangs, and his hackles were raised all along his shoulders and spine.

"Where the hell did that mutt come from?" the leader shouted.

Ulquiorra had finished investigating what had made that awful whistle and found some freshman blowing on a dog whistle to the point where his face was turning purple. He had barked at the boy and he stopped immediately. When he returned he saw the woman, her friends, and the boy who's scent he disliked being apprehended by a group of outsiders.

Now he was furious. They were threatening the woman who had taken him in. They were going to pay dearly for that.

"Hey, get outta here, mutt!" the blonde holding Orihime shouted.

Ulquiorra howled and sprang onto the weakling. His teeth shredded the boy's uniform and reduced his hat to individual threads.

"AH!" The boy released Orihime and fell over. He threw his arm in front of his face just in time to keep Ulquiorra from crunching his face in his jaws. "Guys, help me!"

The twins who were holding Rukia and the black haired boy who was left with Orihime rushed to their friends aid. Ulquiorra quickly turned on them. He tackled one of the twins to the ground and ripped a whole in the side of his shirt deep enough to draw blood. After that he spun and attacked the black haired boy, biting his calf so hard there was an audible crunch as he broke the youth's bone right in two.

The boys who were surrounding Chizuru were the next ones to try and help, and were the next ones to feel the force of Ulquiorra's fury. The red head tried to punch the back of his head and ended up getting a broken wrist and a shredded finger while the blonde lost his piercing and obtained a foot long gash on his thigh. The next one on the list was the trash these boys called Boss.

The leader stared at Ulquiorra in horror. He had just taken out six of his boys in less than three minutes. This wasn't a dog. It was a demon.

"Cane, get the mutt!" he screamed.

The senior who had beat Ichigo into a bloody pulp released his victim and rushed at Ulquiorra. He was able to grab him by the scruff of the neck and hurtled him into the tree so hard there was an audible crack.

"Phantom!" Orihime cried.

Ulquiorra slid down the tree trunk and landed at the base with a dull thud. He didn't move and he wasn't breathing.

"Hahahahaha!" the leader laughed hysterically. "What did I tell you? WHAT DID I TELL YOU? Nobody can beat my man, Cane! Nobody!"

Tatsuki elbowed the leader so hard in the groin he sang higher than a first Soprano. And the minute he let go of her and doubled over in pain, she administered the most brutal beating of her life.

Ichigo crawled onto his hands and knees and glared at Cane. He had beat him so easily. It was humiliating. There was no way he was just going to let him walk away.

"So you can still fight, huh?" Cane asked, and kicked Ichigo square in the ribs.

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki shouted.

Blood splattered the front of Ichigo's shirt as it erupted from his mouth. He slammed into the fence ten feet from where Ulquiorra lay. That last kick had done it. He couldn't move, and his body ached all over. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get back up.

Orihime had yelled for someone, but she couldn't remember who. Did she cry out for Phantom or Ichigo? She couldn't remember. She couldn't even remember if she had even made any noise. Her throat was so dry she could barely whisper.

Cane grabbed Tatsuki's hair and threw her next to Orihime. "Are you alright, Boss?"

The leader wiped a stream of blood from his lip. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I guarantee that bitch who beat me up isn't gonna be for much longer." He walked over to where Orihime and Tatsuki were sitting and brought his foot back.

There was a roar and the leader screamed bloody murder. Ulquiorra had launched himself at him and was now latched on to his knee; twisting it in a way that would have snapped a tree limb.

"Cane, get this bastard off of me!" the leader screamed. But Cane couldn't do anything to help him, he was lying on the ground in agony; holding a shattered femur.

Ulquiorra gave the leader's knee one good pull and there was an audible pop as the shin completely detached from the thigh. The only thing holding the man's leg together was the shredded skin and tendons, but even that wasn't doing much. If the leader had wanted to, he could have bent his leg so his toes would be touching his shoulder and there wouldn't be any muscle strain.

"Let's get out of here!" One of the boys yelled. The few boys who were able to walk helped the crippled limp off the grounds and disappeared behind a grove of trees.

"Oh my god, what happened here?" a teacher asked, running to the scene as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.

"A group of seniors from another school jumped us," Tatsuki yelled. "Ichigo tried to help but only ended up getting beat up himself. If it weren't for Orihime's dog, who knows what would have happened."

Everyone paused.

"Where's Phantom?" Orihime shrieked. She frantically searched the yard. "Phantom, Phantom, here, boy!"

Ulquiorra heard the woman calling him and heaved himself onto his feet. He knew that more than a few of his bones were broken, but if he didn't answer the woman she would have an anxiety attack. He crawled over to the blanket where the group of girls had been eating and collapsed.

"Phantom!" Orihime dropped to her knees and her hands hovered just above Ulquiorra's fur. What should she do? If she touched him, she could end up hurting him. But if he was already hurt, shouldn't she do something?

A tall, thin boy with blue hair and glasses and a larger boy with tan skin and wavy brown hair rushed over.

"What happened here?" Uryu asked.

"We'll worry about that later," the stubby teacher said. "Right now I want you to help Tatsuki bring Ichigo to the nurse's office."

"Yes, sir," Tatsuki and Uryu said in unison, and heaved Ichigo into the school.

"Mr. Sado," the teacher said.

"Yes, sir?" Chad replied. It was impossible to see his eyes through the thick locks of brown hair.

"I want you to help Miss Inoue bring her dog to the veterinary clinic a few blocks down. There's no point in making the poor animal suffer."

"Yes, sir," Chad knelt down next to Orihime and gently picked Ulquiorra up with ease. He ran off of the school grounds with Orihime trailing close behind him all the way to the clinic.

Ulquiorra had noticed one thing before he passed out on the ground just seconds before Chad picked him up. The woman had been crying. Why, he had no idea.

He wasn't sure what he had gotten himself into, but for some reason he was glad he had decided to bring the woman her lunch after all. That Ichigo person was as useless as a infant when it came to fighting. Who knows what would have happened to Orihime if he hadn't been there to protect her?


	5. Chapter 5

Three weeks had passed since the fight at Karakura High. Ichigo had suffered a severely bruised eye, a broken nose, and a cracked rib, but that was nothing compared to the damage Ulquiorra had obtained. In the one blow he endured, five of his ribs had broken completely in half and punctured at least three internal organs, four of the vertebrae in his spinal column had been knocked out of place, and his spine had suffered other significant damage. The vet had told Orihime that he wouldn't make it through the night.

"At least that's what he said," Orihime thought sullenly as she prepared dinner. She glanced over at the dog sleeping in the corner of the kitchen and smiled. He had made it through the night, and, to everyone's surprise, practically made a complete recovery in one week. It shocked the vet beyond belief.

Ulquiorra slowly opened his eyes and scratched at the bandages wrapped around his stomach and ribcage. The vet had instructed the woman to keep him as immobile as possible for at least two weeks when he was finally released from the clinic two weeks ago. He was happy that the bindings would be removed after dinner, even if the woman had said something about giving him a bath as soon as the wrapping was removed. It itched horribly and was driving him insane.

"Phantom, don't scratch at it!" Orihime squealed. "You might end up breaking your ribs again!"

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes and ceased scratching. The woman could be so dramatic at times. His body was fully recovered and once again a well oiled machine of thick muscle and sturdy bone; scratching something as insignificant as a bandage was not going to do him any harm.

Orihime set his bowl of food down in front of him and smiled. "Eat up, Phantom. The vet said that you need to gain a bit more weight, so I made this specifically for you so you can put on a little bit more fluff."

The scent swirling around the bowl was enough to make Ulquiorra gag, even though he didn't show it. The strange creature sitting in his bowl was in no way edible, much less palatable. He could hardly make out what it was made of, so instead of eating he turned his head and laid his muzzle on his paws.

"Come on, Phantom," Orihime begged, "please eat. You haven't eaten anything since you got back from the clinic. The doctor already said you were underweight. You need to eat something."

Ulquiorra exhaled through his nose and shifted his body so his shoulders were facing her and the bowl of food she had set in front of him. "That's not true, woman. I have my fill of squirrels and whatever else I can catch when you're not looking whenever we go on walks," Ulquiorra thought, contradicting what she had said.

Orihime sighed and walked back to the counter with a sad look in her eyes. Why didn't Phantom eat anything she made for him? Was her cooking really that bad?

She grabbed her bowl of hard boiled eggs and sat down at the table. She had left them plain, but had an array of toppings to put on them spread out before her. Just as she was about to bite into a cherry pie filling covered egg, the phone rang.

Orihime jumped from the table and tripped over the leg. She scuttled over to the phone and picked it up off the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, Orihime," Tatsuki's voice answered, "how's it going?"

"Oh, everything's fine," Orihime replied happily. "I was just about to sit down to supper. Do you want to come over? I made a bit more than I probably should have."

"Uh, sorry, Orihime," Tatsuki replied shakily. "My mom needs me here tonight. I'm helping her out with...decorating...the living-room."

"Oh, alright," Orihime said, slightly disappointed. "Tatsuki, am I a bad cook?"

There was a pause.

"Why do you say that?" Tatsuki asked a bit rushed. Had it been that obvious that she didn't want to eat her friend's terrible cooking? She hadn't meant for it to be that forward, but she couldn't think of anything else.

Orihime fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. "Well, you see, the thing is that Phantom has never touched any of the meals I've made for him. He hasn't eaten a thing since I brought him home from the clinic. It worries me a little."

Tears formed in Orihime's eyes. "At first I thought it was just because he wasn't hungry, but now," teardrops splattered on the floor, "now I don't know. Is my cooking so bad that not even a dog will eat it? I need you to tell me the truth, Tatsuki. Is it really that horrible?"

Tatsuki didn't know what to say. After all this time, it took a dog to show her that her cooking wasn't really five star restaurant material. Which made her wonder what it was that she was making for the poor animal anyway.

"Well, you definitely have an interesting way of preparing things," she finally answered, "and sometimes your recipes aren't exactly what some people would consider normal."

"I knew it. My cooking sucks!" Orihime wailed.

Tatsuki jumped and almost dropped the phone. That was the first time in her entire life she had ever heard Orihime say anything bad. Even if she had only said "sucks" that was like the equivalent of her saying "I can't cook worth a damn!" It was a surprise.

"No, no, Orihime, you're cooking's one of a kind. You have a certain culinary flair that's all your own," Tatsuki explained. She was beginning to think that calling her was probably a bad idea.

Ulquiorra had been watching the woman the entire time she had been speaking on the phone and felt something pull at his heart. He had insulted her and made her cry; all because he wouldn't eat her questionable cooking. There had to be a way of making her stop crying and smile that warm smile he had grown accustomed to.

"Alright, I'll see you at school tomorrow, Tatsuki," Orihime said dryly, and hung up the phone. She walked back to the kitchen and sat down. Tatsuki hadn't given her a straight answer when she asked if her cooking was terrible. It must have been worse than she thought it was. She bit into her cherry covered egg and sighed. It tasted really good, but how many other people would think it was disgusting.

Ulquiorra watched the woman cover two more eggs with other strange toppings, one being green and the other being a clear, runny gold, and eating them without hesitation. That was it.

He stood up and walked over to Orihime. She stared at him as he sat down next to her chair. "What do you want? You can't possibly want any of this."

Ulquiorra swallowed his pride and did the one thing he had never done in his life, human or otherwise. He pawed at her skirt, being careful not to rip the delicate fabric, and begged.

Orihime's eyes grew wide. "You really want one?"

"Woman, I am trying to make you feel better. Do not push your luck with such trivial questions," Ulquiorra thought. There was a kind of hostility he had never felt before bubbling deep within him.

Orihime closed her eyes and turned back to her grotesque dinner. "I get it. You're mocking me. I know my cooking's bad. You don't need to rub it in."

Whatever dignity Ulquiorra had left in this form was gone. He knew there was only one way to get the woman to comply with what he was doing and the thought made him sick. He stood up, mustered up as much moisture into his eyes as he could, and stared at her with the most adorable puppy eyes anyone could ever see; topping it all off with a heartbreaking whine.

Whoever said that puppy-dog eyes only worked with brown eyes had never met Ulquiorra. The second Orihime looked into those pathetically adorable eyes her heart melted. He had never made that face before, but it was too cute to resist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squealed.

"Oh, how can I stay mad at a face like that?" She sat back up and peeled the shell off an egg. "Did you want one, boy?"

Ulquiorra felt disgusted with himself, but since there was no way he could sink any lower he barked in reply. If only his old comrades could see him now.

Orihime was going to put some red bean paste on the egg but decided to leave it plain. He might not eat it if she put anything he didn't like on it. She turned in her chair and held the egg out. "Alright, but if you really want it you'll have to sit up."

"I will do no such thing," Ulquiorra thought, and growled.

"Have it your way," Orihime said, and brought the egg to her mouth.

"I'm going to make this woman pay for this insolence," Ulquiorra thought. He sat down and balanced on his haunches. It was hard to tell if this was more degrading or humiliating.

"Good, boy!" Orihime squealed and was about to give Ulquiorra the egg when it slipped between her fingers. Ulquiorra, of course, caught it with ease. He was surprised to find that it actually tasted good.

"Well, what do you think, Phantom?" There was a new light sparkling in Orihime's eyes.

Ulquiorra's eyes shifted from the woman to the bowl of hard boiled eggs and wagged his tail a fraction of a centimeter. That was the best thing she had made since he arrived. It was difficult for him not to want another.

"Aright, one hard boiled egg coming up," Orihime giggled. She peeled another egg and cut it in half; covering one half in honey before eating it and giving Ulquiorra his half. She was happy to see that her cooking wasn't that bad after all.

After Orihime had forced almost two dozen eggs down Ulquiorra's throat in her fit of joy that he was finally eating something, she led him through the house into the bathroom. He hadn't had a bath once in the month she had had him and he was starting to smell. She started the shower and began unwrapping his bandages.

Ulquiorra felt as if his stomach was about to erupt. The woman had kept feeding him well past his limit. At one point he had stopped because he had consumed his fill. She must have thought he was refusing to eat again, because he could see fresh tears start forming in her eyes and ingested more than his belly could handle. He had scratched on the door to be let out, and once she had let him outside he expelled the excess sustenance behind a bush; angering a very old squirrel in the process.

Orihime rolled the bandages in a neat ball and checked the water to make sure it was a comfortable temperature. "Okay, Phantom," she patted the side of the tub, "get in."

Ulquiorra immediately jumped into the shower tub. He could feel the disgrace and humility crawling all over him from his previous attempt to make the woman feel better, and desperately needed to scrub away the filth. There was no way he would ever do that again, but he had said that before about bringing Orihime's lunch to school.

Ever since that day at Karakura High when those thugs had caused a disturbance, Ulquiorra never let Orihime out of his sight, except for on occasion when she was in the bathroom where he would patiently wait outside the door. This meant that he even went with her to school. All of the students, and many of the teachers, had praised him when he was let out of the veterinary clinic for his "heroic" efforts. And it bothered him to no end how people still petted him so formally, the foul smelling, orange haired boy included.

There had been something odd about that boy. Whenever he looked at Ulquiorra there was a kind of resentment in his eyes, but he never showed it around Orihime or the others. It was Ulquiorra alone who saw the hate in his eyes. A hate towards him for a reason he did not know.

Orihime ran the warm water over Ulquiorra's body and laughed when he sighed heavily. "What is it, Phantom? Does the water feel good?"

It felt so nice on his skin as it rolled lazily off his thick fur he almost collapsed when the water penetrated his thick coat. When he was human, he would spend hours soaking in hot springs or at a local bathhouse/whorehouse just because he enjoyed the feel of the warm water on his skin. Unlike his vulgar comrades who only went for the cheap alcohol and even cheaper women.

There was one instance he remembered in particular. It was the night before the battle that had condemned him to this cursed life. He and his platoon had arrived in a small town, whose name he had long since forgotten. His second in command had walked in on him just as he was about to go to the bathing house with a half drunk prostitute on his arm.

"Come on, Captain," he urged. "Why don't you join us for once? I'll even buy you a little company." The night had made his hair seem almost blue as he tightly clutched the dizzy whore to his side.

"I have no desire whatsoever to indulge myself in women the likes of these, Grimmjow," he had said. "I will occasionally join you and the rest of the men around the campfire or in the tavern back home for a drink, but I will not degrade myself to enacting upon the sins of the flesh with a cheap whore as you do." He turned and walked to the bathhouse; leaving his lieutenant and his cheap company behind.

"Even mercenaries have the right to enjoy themselves every once in a while," Grimmjow had called after him. "No one lives forever!"

It was ironic how wrong he had been. The very next day Ulquiorra was bestowed the curse of immortality until he was able to sacrifice himself for someone he loved, however, that would never happen. One needs a heart to love, and his heart had been removed long ago. Ever since his father had sold him to a traveling band of mercenaries at the age of eight and instructed him to return when he had reached the age of eighteen. That is, if he was not killed by then.

Orihime squeezed a small amount of shampoo in her hand and started rubbing it into Ulquiorra's dense fur. It was then that she realized that he had a few scars hiding beneath the black locks. There was one on his back, next to his spine, two on his left, hind flank, one shallow mark along his ribcage, and one on his shoulder. She knew none of them had come from the vet, because they had never operated on him, so where had he gotten such ghastly scars?

She rinsed the soap out of Ulquiorra's fur and turned off the water. "There you go, Phantom. Now you're all clean!" She turned to grab a towel and got sprayed with a shower of water as Ulquiorra shook himself dry.

"Phantom," she yelled, but it wasn't very intimidating because she was more laughing than yelling. She threw a towel over his wet fur and dried him off the best she could. Towels could only do so much.

Once that was over, Ulquiorra followed Orihime to her room and sat down on the bean-bag chair; trying to keep his still slightly damp fur on the towel she had laid over it to keep the leather from being ruined. The warm bath, mixed with a full belly, had made him drowsy.

"I'm soaked!" Orihime giggled. "Oh well, I might as well change into my pajamas anyway. It's almost time for bed." She lifted her hot pink shirt over her head, revealing a tone midriff and lavender bra covering her female anatomy.

Ulquiorra's eyes shot open so fast they almost popped out of his head. He had seen a woman's legs only recently when one of his previous humans had a daughter who constantly wore mini skirts and little shorts that barely covered her genitalia, but even that had made him uncomfortable. Now the woman was stripping right in front of him.

He had never seen a woman's bare stomach, hips, or breasts. The prostitutes his comrades had usually hired showed a little cleavage, but he had never looked. He was over four hundred years old and this was his first time ever seeing a woman so naked.

Orihime started to unbutton her jeans.

That was enough. Ulquiorra stumbled out of the bean-bag chair, all exhaustion gone, and tore out of the room as if the devil was nipping at his heels. Forget enough, that had been too much.

"Hm, what's gotten into him?" Orihime mumbled to herself, and continued changing into her pajamas.

Ulquiorra collapsed onto the living-room couch and tried to steady his breathing. His heart was pounding so fast and hard it felt as if it would burst from his chest at any moment. What had the woman been thinking undressing in front of him like that? But most of all, why couldn't he get the image of her standing in front of him, half naked, and glowing like a roman goddess out of his mind?

The light dimmed in the woman's room and Ulquiorra knew she had turned on the lamp sitting on her bedside table so she could read. He couldn't go in there now. Not tonight; not after what he just saw. So instead he matted down the lumpy, couch cushion and dropped onto his belly.

Images of the woman danced through his mind like a gypsy around a blazing campfire long after the rest of the town had succumbed to sleep. It was going to be a rough night. Ulquiorra could feel it, but it wasn't from the exotic woman seducing his mind with her smoldering, gray eyes. But right now all he cared about was trying to get some sleep and expel the beautiful maiden from his conscious, if not tuck her away into a safe quarter inside his mind to be released at a better, safer, time.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ulquiorra, what are you doing?" a young girl of fifteen screamed. She was wearing an emerald green dress with white sleeves. She had long, light brown hair that had her bangs tied in a bun behind her head and dazzling blue eyes.

The girl held her mother's bloody, lifeless body in her arms; staining her dress with crimson ink; she also had brown hair. Her father was lying, covered in blood and half alive, five yards away. His once black hair was speckled with gray, his blue eyes wide with fear, and his bloodied and dented armor had been broken in half.

Ulquiorra stood over the girl. His blood stained sword was fused to his hand from the years of brutal battles and senseless murders. He never felt anything when he killed. All of the training he had undergone while apprenticing with the mercenaries' leader had seen to that. Now he was nothing more than an empty husk of a boy he once was.

He raised his sword high above his head. It was his job to kill these people. There was nothing personal about it. It was just what he had been bred to do.

The girl's defeated father threw out his hand as if it would somehow reach far enough to pull the sword from Ulquiorra's firm grasp. "Lena, get out of here!" He screamed. "Ulquiorra, stop this!"

It was too late. Ulquiorra was too far gone to turn back now. He was too far gone ten years ago.

The girl gazed up at Ulquiorra with tear filled eyes. She gently set her mother down and stood up. She only came up to his shoulder.

"Ulquiorra," she sobbed, "please don't do this. You must be in there somewhere. You used to be so kind and gentle. Could you have really turned so cold?"

Ulquiorra lowered his sword soundlessly and he quickly pulled it back once the hilt was at his waist. There was no emotion in is eyes. One swift thrust of his arm would drive the blade through the girl's dress, flesh, and bone.

"Lena, run!" her father ordered.

But she didn't. Instead she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Ulquiorra's cheek. There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes, but it was soon extinguished. He raised his sword high above his head once again, and this time it was going to stay there until the order was carried out.

"Ulquiorra," the girl said as emotionless as his eyes. She knew it was useless. He was only doing what mercenaries do. How else should a captain react. She bowed her head in defeat. "Ulquiorra, please just remember one thing."

Ulquiorra paused.

The girl looked up with tears in her eyes. "I love you,-"

Ulquiorra brought the sword down, but not before the girl's final words shattered the air and whatever was left of his stone cold heart.

"-Big Brother!"

Ulquiorra leaped from the couch in his sleep and was shaking violently. He had killed her; his own sister. It was the final test any mercenary had to pass. Kill the person closest to you. For most men it was their mothers, but for him it was his little sister. His mother and father had just gotten in the way.

The sound of light breathing carried down the hall from Orihime's room. Ulquiorra slowly crept down the corridor and pushed past the woman's door. She was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Her face glowed in the moonlight seeping in through her window.

It was hard to believe that this woman had caused him to flee the room in a panic that was worse then what he had felt when he had participated in his first mercenary onslaught. She was beautiful and helpless. He could have easily crushed her skull in his jaws or tear open her throat if he wanted to, but his heart was too heavy with guilt to do so. The pleading screams of his younger sister were still haunting him.

It was strange. After four-hundred years of showing no emotion, or any guilt at all about killing her, he was beginning to feel time's effect. His heart felt like hardened steel that was quickly sinking to the bottom of the ocean. He had mercilessly killed her, and yet she had still loved him.

Orihime moaned something in her sleep and turned over. She could be quite restless at times.

Something slid open somewhere within the house. Ulquiorra ducked out the door and quickly ran to investigate. There was nothing in the house, but something was standing on the balcony outside the woman's laundry-room where she hung some of her clothes. In fact, there were two of them.

Ulquiorra couldn't see what they were, but he intended to find out. He ran to the front door and, morphing into his winged form, freed himself from the small apartment; closing the door gently behind him with his long tail. He flew over the roof and landed in the shadows of the overhang next to the sliding glass door. Unfortunately the darkness was not enough to cover his entire being, and he had to revert back to his canine body.

The two people who were trying to break in were the two boys he had thoroughly whipped three weeks ago, or to be more specific the blonde and black haired boy who had held the woman hostage. The blonde had apparently healed from his injuries, but the black haired delinquent still had his leg encased in a cast. How he had gotten onto the balcony was beyond Ulquiorra.

"Come on, man," the black haired cripple begged, "can't we leave? Why do we have to break into this chick's house anyway? That dog might rip our balls off if we manage to get in."

"Would you shut up, you big pussy?" the blonde snapped, trying to pry the door open with a crowbar. "That's exactly why the Boss wants us to get in here. He said he wants that mutt dead. Said that some guy came to him about two weeks ago and requested him to take care of the bastard."

"I don't know, man. I don't like the feel of this," the black haired boy admitted.

"What? You've broken into lots of houses! What's so special about this one?" the blonde demanded. "Don't tell me you're scared of that little mutt the bitch's got."

"Well, yeah, but that's not it. It's almost," the crippled boy quickly scanned the balcony, "it's almost like we're being watched."

"Pfft," the blonde scoffed, "are you kidding me? You always feel like you're being watched. You're a schizophrenic or whatever you call it." He finally opened the door just enough for him to squeeze his hand inside and unlock the latch.

"But I'll tell you this much, once we're done offing the dog. I'm gonna get that girl. She really pisses me off."

A low growl ripped deep within Ulquiorra's throat.

The two boys jumped and faced the shadow concealing him. The black haired boy had a dark stain spread around his crotch while the blonde held the crowbar like a sword. "Who's there?"

Ulquiorra stepped out of the shadows. The moonlight reflecting off of his fur made him look like a ghost. He was a phantom.

The blonde smiled and laughed. "Well, I'll be damned! He saved us the trouble of finding him," he lunged at him, "now he's gonna die!"

At that moment Ulquiorra decided that neither of these boys were going to make it off this balcony alive, so there was no reason to remain in this state. He morphed into his winged form and caught the crowbar between his long, razor sharp, black claws like a harmless fly.

"Tell me something," Ulquiorra ordered in a dull monotone voice, "are you crazy or just that idiotic?"

The blonde dropped the crowbar and cowered against the rail with his crippled friend. "W-what the fuck are you?" he yelled.

Ulquiorra tossed the crowbar aside half halfheartedly. "You never answered my question. Are you insane or just a couple of simpletons who don't know what you are getting yourself involved in?"

Neither of the boys answered. The one with black hair had gone paler than a sheet and the blonde's hair had turned white under the full moon. It was unfortunate that they hadn't answered him. They might have lived longer.

Ulquiorra grasped the boys be the neck and pinned them to the wall. "If you will not answer a simple question such as that, then tell me this. Who asked your employer to kill me?" He tightened his hold on their throats. "Answer me."

"W-we don't know," the crippled boy replied. He was pulling on Ulquiorra's hand like his life depended on it. Not knowing that him answering was really what was keeping him alive. "We never saw him. The Boss just told us to kill the mutt."

Ulquiorra stared down into the boy's eyes. There was irrevocable fear and panic swelling up deep within them. It was almost pathetic for him to kill someone so feeble.

He turned to the blonde. "Is this true?"

The boy didn't answer. He was petrified. His face, hair, even his eyes had turned white.

"It would be in your best interests to answer," he gently squeezed the black haired boys windpipe, "your comrade's life depends on it."

It was true that Ulquiorra had witnessed, if not caused, many of his fellow mercenary's death by not replying to his captor's questions, but that was out of duty and honor. You never revealed important information to save another man's life. But this boy had no dignity, the pride he could still keep now was one a fool who would betray his employer to save his friend. Humans were so pathetic.

Still no answer.

Ulquiorra's patience had run out along with his mercy. "So be it," he leaned towards the black haired boy's face and opened his mouth.

The boy's body suddenly stiffened as if electricity was pulsing through his body, but that was short lived. Once his body relaxed he started thrashing madly against Ulquiorra's vice-grip hold. His nails dug into the black fur of his arm, and his legs flailed wildly. His cast had cracked when he kicked the wall behind him.

His eyes and mouth began to glow. It was a strange mixture of dark brown and blue-white. It slowly overtook the three openings and was drawn out of his body. The ghostly substance hovered in midair for a split second before quickly darting past Ulquiorra's fangs and into his mouth.

The boy's body went limp, his breathing had ceased, and the light faded from his eyes. He was dead.

Now it was the blonde's turn to wet himself. "What did you do?" he whispered dryly. "What have you done?"

"The question is, what have you done?" Ulquiorra countered. "If you had answered me, he would have lived for a while longer. It is your fault that he is dead." He turned his attention to the boy. "And now it is your turn."

The blonde's eyes widened. He struggled desperately against the claws drilling into his shirt collar, but to no avail. Ulquiorra repeated the procedure and had obtained almost the same result. The only difference was that this boy's soul was completely black.

He dropped the boy onto the balcony once he had stopped twitching. "I'm not surprised that your soul was more tainted than your friend's, but it was not as corrupt as some of the others I have devoured."

He stared down at the bodies. They had come to dispose of him because they had been ordered to by their employer. Who, in turn, had received the request from another. He couldn't help but feel slightly nostalgic. After all, that was how mercenaries worked.

Ulquiorra stepped inside the small apartment and locked the door. He had just finished disposing of the bodies somewhere in the countryside. No one would ever find them. His cero eliminated any trace of them. The only thing that would draw any attention to the area where he had incinerated them was the green light flashing through the sky.

He morphed back into his canine form and resumed his rightful place in the bean-bag chair next to the woman's closet. Something told him that he probably wasn't going to get anymore sleep tonight, but he had been wrong before and was asleep almost immediately.

* * *

"Good morning, Orihime!" Chizuru yelled as she hugged/groped her friend; only to be kicked in the stomach by Tatsuki.

"Geez, Chizuru, do you have to do that every day?" Tatsuki groaned. "My foot's getting tired of knocking you off of Orihime's...assets."

The red head slowly struggled to her feet. "Maybe one day I'll get lucky and your foot will be too sore to kick me,"

Orihime smiled awkwardly. This happened almost every morning. Chizuru would half suffocate her with one of her morning hugs, Tatsuki would somehow pry her loose, they would all go to class, and then she would go home. It was a continuous cycle of friendly torment.

But today was different. Yesterday the drama teacher, Mademoiselle Leroux, had announced that she had a surprise for them today, and Orihime could hardly wait to find out what it was. Drama, along with Art, was her favorite class. The music, the art, the dancing, the acting, everything was amazing; especially with Mademoiselle directing the class.

"Does anyone know what Mademoiselle's surprise might be?" Rukia asked during lunch.

"Not a clue, but then again I really don't care. Drama's not exactly my favorite class," Tatsuki replied, biting into a rice ball.

"You just don't like it because you keep getting stuck as a tree or bush in every play," Chizuru snickered. "Isn't that also why you always sign up for stage hand whenever we have to put on a new play?"

Tatsuki hit Chizuru over the head with her lunch bag. "I sign up as a stage hand because I don't have to do anything stupid. After what happened last year, I think more people will be joining me. That was awful."

"It wasn't that bad," Orihime said innocently.

"Five guys decided to sabatoge the entire wardrobe so the dresses revealed the girls' boobs and flash the guys' junk," Tatsuki said dully as the memory filled her head like a recurring nightmare. "How was that not so bad?"

"Um, well," Orihime couldn't think of an answer. It had been kind of bad, but there were a lot of good things that had happened during the play. Unfortunately they were all blocked out of her head by the boys dancing on stage with the crotch cut out of their pants and the girls trying to cover their chests while they searched for replacement dresses.

"See? You can't even think of anything, can you?" Tatsuki smirked.

"Well, not right now," Orihime admitted.

"What does it matter? It happened last year. The boys who did that were expelled, so we don't have to worry about something like that happening again this year," Rukia stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Whatever," Tatsuki sighed and bit into her rice ball.

Orihime looked down at Ulquiorra. He had been sleeping all day. It was unlike him. Ever since those thugs had ganged up on her, Tatsuki, Chizuru, and Rukia he had followed her to school every day and was constantly alert. She couldn't help but wonder if he was sick or something.

The bell rang and the students started making their way back to class.

"Oh," Orihime quickly cleaned up her lunch, "come on, you guys! I don't want to be late for Mademoiselle's surprise!"

"O-Orihime, wait up!" Tatsuki yelled, but it was too late. She was gone.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen her so excited. She even left Phantom lying here," Chizuru said, leaning over the sleeping dog.

"What do you think we should do?" Rukia asked. "Should we wake him up or just leave him?"

"I don't know," Tatsuki admitted, "but we can't just let him stay here. Who knows what will happen if he wakes up and Orihime's not around. If we wake him up now and bring him to Drama with us, maybe he won't be so stressed."

"Great idea," Chizuru exclaimed, and ducked behind Tatsuki. "You do it."

"Why does it have to be me?"

"Because it was your idea," Chizuru explained. "Plus I don't think I want to be the one getting her finger bitten off because she woke him up without Orihime around. You saw what he did to those thugs."

"Well, why can't Rukia do it?" Tatsuki asked.

"I'm over here," Rukia answered, waving behind a tree.

"Ugh," Tatsuki groaned. She picked up a three foot stick and held it out at arms length; increasing its length by another foot or so. "Fine, but I'm not gonna risk a finger."

She knelt down and gently prodded Ulquiorra's muzzle with the end of the stick. A few more pokes and he was up. He was severely angry, but he was up.

Ulquiorra woke up to something prodding his muzzle. He spun and snapped the thickest part of the stick so fast the girls hardly had the time to blink. The stick had been at least four inches in diameter where he broke it, yet he crushed it so easily. That's what would be expected of the jaws that shattered a man's femur, though.

The girls all huddled up together. They had not thought of what to do once he was up.

Ulquiorra noticed that the woman was missing and sniffed the blanket next to where he had been sleeping. Her scent was still there, but she was not. Where had she gone? He sniffed all around the picnic area and still couldn't seem to find her.

Rukia and Chizuru pushed Tatsuki forward. She glared back at them before slowly stepping towards the dog searching desperately for his owner. "Hey, Phantom," she said calmly, "look I know Orihime's not here, but if you want I can take you to her."

Ulquiorra stopped his search and stared at Tatsuki in disbelief. "You can bring me to the woman? I highly doubt that," he thought. But something inside him said to trust this girl, even if it was just this once. The woman could be in terrible trouble right now. He did not have the luxury to be picky on who he would allow to help him.

He walked up to Tatsuki and sat at her feet. "Alright, you may lead me to the woman." This was a stretch even for him, but he had no other choice.

"Okay," Tatsuki glanced back at her friends, "I'm gonna head to class. I'll meet you guys there. Come on, Phantom." She tore off the schoolyard and into the music building with Ulquiorra keeping pace right beside her.

Orihime just barely made it to the theater before the second bell rang and sat down in an empty row of seats towards the front. She was the only person in there so far, but that didn't bother her. She liked just being able to sit in the red seats and admire the stage.

The theater itself was amazing. There were rows upon rows of black seats with soft, red cushions. There was a sound booth on the far back wall in between two sections of seats and two doorways. The stage was made of wood and polished so that it shone flawlessly in the light cast by the lamps suspended on the catwalk overhead. The front curtain was a gorgeous crimson and the drapes behind the platform was ink black with a midnight hue when hit by the light. It was a magnificent theater with an even more breathtaking stage.

"Orihime!" a voice echoed throughout the room, and Orihime turned in her seat to see a very upset Tatsuki leading Phantom down the isle. "You left Phantom back in the yard. He didn't even wake up!"

Ulquiorra padded up to Orihime and laid down at her feet. He hadn't looked at her once since he entered the building. She had left him with those three girls. That was a taboo in itself.

"Oh my god, Phantom, I'm so sorry," Orihime gasped and tried to hug Ulquiorra, but he just huffed and inched away from her.

"I think he's a little upset," Tatsuki teased. "You disappeared while he was sleeping. He must have thought you had abandoned him."

"Hardly, it just irritates me that she left me with that red head," Ulquiorra thought. He severely disliked that particular girl because she was constantly attacking the woman, and he wasn't allowed to do anything about it because she was the woman's friend.

The rest of the students slowly filled the theater. Chizuru and Rukia had sat in the front row next to Tatsuki, Orihime, and Ulquiorra while Chad, Uryu, and Ichigo sat in the row behind them. Five minutes later the thunderous sound of an orchestra boomed out of the sound system.

After three minutes of the music bombarding everyone's eardrums, the song ended and a woman, who looked more like a student, dropped onto the stage from the catwalk. She had long, white hair, midnight blue eyes, and was wearing a white tank-top and a pair of faded, worn out blue jeans. "Can anyone tell me what play that Overture came from?" she asked in a beautiful, melodic voice.

Orihime instantly shot her hand in the air. "Oh-oh, me!"

"Yes, Orihime," the woman said.

"It's from The Phantom of the Opera!"

"Excellent," the woman laughed. "I'm glad to see someone here knows the music because," she pulled a yellow rope that drew back the black curtain; revealing a giant poster of a rose and half of a white mask. "We are going to perform The Phantom of the Opera for this years play!"

Orihime jumped out of her seat and squealed with joy. First they had read the book. Now they were going to do the play. Could this day get any better?

The teacher waved her hands in a "sit down" gesture. "Yes, yes, I'm sure some of you are very excited about this year's play. However, before we can perform it, I would appreciate it if everyone watched the show before we initiate any try-outs. So today I will be handing out scripts to anyone who would like to practice for a role, and tomorrow we will begin watching the movie."

Orihime nearly fainted from excitement. This day had just gotten better.

Ulquiorra had fallen asleep sometime before the the Overture from The Phantom of the Opera had exploded through the theater's speaker system, but that had not woken him up. Not even the woman's excessive chatter and squeals of delight had woken him. What had woken him from his deep slumber was the melodic, bell like voice of the woman standing on stage.

He knew that voice. It was a voice that haunted him in his dreams. A voice he could never forget as long as he lived. It was the voice of the woman who had cursed him to this retched life.

He opened his eyes and gazed at the glowing woman with white hair on the stage. It was her. He was sure of it. Four-hundred years had passed, yet she looked just as young and dazzling as the day she cursed him.

Ulquiorra stood up and growled at the woman high upon the platform. She had made his life hell. He was going to repay the favor.

"Phantom, what's wrong?" Orihime asked. He had been acting strange all day, but this was crazy. He never growled at the teachers; much less bare his teeth at them.

The teacher gazed down at Ulquiorra. "Orihime, is that your dog?"

Orihime knelt down beside him. "Yes, Mademoiselle, but I'm not sure what's gotten into him. He's never growled at a teacher before, honest."

Mademoiselle smiled sweetly. "Don't worry about it, Orihime. I'm sure he's just riled up by all the commotion." She stared Ulquiorra in the eye. "I bet he wouldn't hurt a fly."

The rest of the day crawled by agonizingly slow. Orihime could only think about the play, and all Ulquiorra could think about was that the woman who had made his life hell was one of his woman's teachers. For one, it had been a great day. For the other, it had been a relapse of hell.


	7. Chapter 7

Ulquiorra was watching "The Phantom of the Opera" for the fifth time that night, and the fifteenth time the past two nights. The woman had somehow coaxed him into lying on her bed so he could watch it with her. She had fallen asleep at about the middle of the third run and was now cuddled up to him like a child snuggles with a stuffed animal. For some strange reason, he enjoyed the feeling of her head lying on his stomach. It made him feel...happy.

At this point in the movie, the Phantom was threatening the life of Christine's lover, Raoul. Ulquiorra cared little for the man and secretly hoped that the Phantom would just kill the weakling and claim what was rightfully his; even though he knew that that was not how the movie ended. He disliked Christine's feeble fiancé as much as he detested the boy the woman had feelings for, Ichigo Kurosaki.

He would wake up at least once a week and hear her mumbling his name in her sleep. It irked him severely. Almost to the point where he wanted to rip the ears from his head and live deaf for the rest of eternity. She loved Ichigo, and he hated it.

He could not understand why. Why did he despise Ichigo so much? Why did it matter so much to him if the woman had feelings for the orange haired piece of trash? Why did she love a child who was clearly oblivious of her feelings? What did the foul smelling boy have that he did not? He could not seem to comprehend any of the facts these questions were based off of.

The woman shifted in her sleep. She looked so tranquil lying there next to him. Her mouth parted slightly. Her long, black eyelashes twitching as she dreamed. Her skin glowing in the moonlight. It was so surreal that it could have easily been a dream.

Suddenly he realized how much he yearned to be human, even if it was just for a second, so he could stroke her beautiful red-orange locks and feel the skin of his fingers brush against her cheek. To be able to hold her in his arms and protect her the way a man should. To be the man in her dreams and the name she called in the sanctity of the night.

No. He should not be thinking that. Such desires were beneath him. He was a mercenary, a phantom assassin, a murderer. She deserved someone better. Someone who was just as kind and gentle as she was. A true gentleman, not some imposter who was incapable of feeling love for another.

The movie played long past the credits had turned back to the DVD menu. But Ulquiorra never noticed, his attention was on the woman. Her breathing, her heartbeat, her entire being.

This had to stop. He could not lay here anymore. It was not safe for either of them. He slowly stood up and was suddenly pulled back down by the woman's arm. How had he forgotten that she had wrapped her arm around his neck?

The woman's lips twitched. She was speaking, but he could not hear what she was saying. One thing he knew for sure was that she had not said Ichigo's name, but the name of another. Could it have been his? The thought sent a flurry of butterflies fluttering deep within his stomach.

Ulquiorra nuzzled his nose just centimeters away from the woman's face. What would it hurt if he slept here just this one night. One night and that was it. After tonight, he would never do it again, but he had said that before.

He licked Orihime's cheek and slowly drifted to sleep. If this was the only night he was going to do this, he at least wanted to do that before he escaped to the world of dreams. This was the only time he would ever do something like that ever again. He swore.

* * *

The annoying buzzing of the alarm clock on Orihime's bedside table woke Ulquiorra up that morning. He opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh morning sun, rolled over, and hit the snooze button on the pestering device before wrapping his arm snugly around the woman's waist and nuzzling his face in her hair. Something seemed different this morning.

His eyes suddenly snapped open and he bolted upright. He looked down at his body. There was no fur, to claws, nothing. It was nothing but skin, bone, and rock hard muscle.

"I must be dreaming," Ulquiorra said and slapped himself across the face. No, he was not dreaming. His hands were real. His skin was real. This body was his body, and it looked the same as it did the day he was cursed.

He quickly jumped out of bed and ran to the mirror in the bathroom. What he saw was unbelievable.

It was a face he had not seen in over four-hundred years without tear marks, there was a head that did not have horns sticking out on each side, no wings behind him, no tail flicking happily in the background, and no fur. He was himself again. He was human. There was a slight black shading on his upper lip, but that had always been there.

How had this happened? He had gone to sleep a dog last night. Now he was a strong, muscular young man once again. He could not help but flex a little in the mirror. He had not seen himself in four-hundred years. How could he not want to show off in front of himself?

The woman groaned out in her bedroom. Ulquiorra was about to rush out and hold her tightly in his arms but froze where he stood. She did not know about any of this. She never knew about the curse, about him being a monster who could only return to this state when he was able to sacrifice himself for someone he loved, she never knew any of it. What would she do if a man she never met in her life suddenly lifted her out of bed and embraced her, he looked down, much less a naked man?

Ulquiorra ducked back into the bathroom. He had to get out of there. The woman could not see him like this. For one he was naked, but mostly because he did not want to have to see the fear and panic he knew would form in her eyes if she saw a strange, naked man in her apartment.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and quickly sprinted to the closet. The few times he had seen the contents in the woman's wardrobe he had noticed that there were a few articles of mens' clothing, possibly her deceased brother's, folded neatly and sitting on the very top shelf. He pulled down a pair of black jeans, a long-sleeved, button up, brown shirt, a pair of white boxers, socks, and a pair of black shoes from the shelf and quickly dressed.

"Phantom," Orihime murmured sleepily.

Ulquiorra froze just as he was about to button the shirt. The woman was awake. How long was it going to take for her to realize that Phantom was gone and he was standing right in front of her.

He slowly turned his head and breathed a sigh of relief. The woman was still asleep, but there was a look of distress painted across her sleeping features. Her eyebrows were knitted together, her lips had formed a thin line, and there were tears submerging her dark eyelashes.

What was the woman dreaming? Ulquiorra could not help but creep closer to her sleeping figure to possibly hear what she was saying.

"Phantom," she whined, "please...don't go." Her eyes pinched tighter and the tear drowning her beautiful lashes slowly rolled down her face. "Don't leave me."

A string pulled at Ulquiorra's heart. He felt horrible that he was leaving her in both her dreams and in reality, but he could not help but also feel a strange happiness lighten his stone heart. She wanted him to stay. She wanted him.

He brushed the tear from her cheek with his finger and gently whispered in her ear. "I am sorry, Orihime, but I must leave. You would not want me to remain here. For how could anyone love a murderer?"

Orihime must have comprehended what Ulquiorra had said in her deep slumber, because she reacted in a way that he never would have imagined. She leaned her face forward and gently touched her lips to his lips.

There was barely any contact, but it was enough to send Ulquiorra's heart alight. His mind clouded and he captured her lips in his own. Four-hundred and eighteen years and this was his first kiss. It was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted in his life.

He reluctantly pulled away. He was dizzy from lack of air caused by the caste, yet passionate kiss. But he was able to smile slightly at the blush coloring the woman's face, and the smile that had formed on her lips. Apparently she had enjoyed it as much as he had.

He finished buttoning his shirt, even though they were slightly crooked, and quietly walked out the front door while rolling his sleeves up to his elbows; forgetting to lock it in his haste. He was still confused about how he had attained his human form, and he knew that there was one person he needed to see to find out. The one the woman called Mademoiselle.

Ulquiorra ran down the stairs, or more jumped down them in two graceful bounds. He was so elated with joy that he had not seen the old woman carrying two grocery bags down the sidewalk two stories below and accidentally ran into her; spilling her purchases all over the concrete.

"Oh no," the woman cried as she slowly and shakily tried to bend over to pick up her groceries. She had curly, white hair, brown eyes, and was wearing a long yellow skirt with flower print, a canary yellow shirt, and a white cardigan.

"No, please, allow me," Ulquiorra said quickly and gently pushed the woman's shoulder back so she was standing up straight. "It was my fault. I should have been paying more attention. My sincerest apologies." He knelt down and quickly returned the groceries to the two brown paper bags that had originally contained them.

It was a wonder the old woman could carry them at all. They were filled with caned goods, two gallons of milk, and other heavy wares.

"Why aren't you just the sweetest thing," the old woman said. "Thank you very much."

Ulquiorra finished re-packing the groceries and stood up. The bags were light enough for him to carry in one arm, but too heavy for the elderly woman to handle. "Not to sound forward, Miss, but would you like for me to carry these for you?"

The old woman blushed like a little girl. "Oh no, I wouldn't want to be a burden."

"It is not a burden. I simply think that it is the least I can do for making you drop them in the first place," Ulquiorra replied. He had been able to keep his voice expressionless this entire time, but his face was telling the old woman a different story.

"Then we had better get them home before the milk spoils," she said, and led Ulquiorra down the walk. "So, may I ask what had distracted you so much?"

"It is nothing important," Ulquiorra lied, submerging his free hand in his pocket.

"Come now, young man, you were obviously thinking about something. I saw it on your face before you turned stoic. It was a look of unconditional love." The woman sighed.

"Young love is such a beautiful thing. Why I remember when my husband and I were like you. Nothing in the world mattered to us as long as we were together."

"Is that so," Ulquiorra said dully. He could not help but think about what the old woman had said. How could love had been all over his face? He was a heartless mercenary incapable of love. At least, that is what he thought.

The old woman stopped outside a door and opened it. "Here we are, home sweet home. You can just set those bags on the table in the kitchen, dear."

Ulquiorra did as instructed and placed the groceries on the table. This apartment was much different than the woman's. There were old pictures hanging on the walls, a cross above the kitchen doorway, and everything was a warm, neutral color. There was a smell of peppermint, cinnamon, caramel, and a mixture of other scents that would imply that the old woman had been baking.

"I should be leaving," Ulquiorra said, and walked towards the door.

"Oh? But you have to have one of these cookies first," the old woman implored, holding a pan of chocolate chip cookies in front of him with a mitten covering her fragile hand. "A nice, young man like you deserves something for helping a little old woman like me...oh dear, silly me. In all the excitement I forgot to ask you your name."

"My name is Ulquiorra, Ulquiorra Shiffer, and not to sound rude, but I do not need one."

"Nonsense," the old woman exclaimed, "you've earned it."

Ulquiorra glanced from the woman, to the tray, and back to the woman before hesitantly taking a warm cookie from the baking sheet. "Thank you, Miss?"

"Oh, how rude of me? I asked you your name but never told you mine," the old woman laughed. "My name is Mrs. Taka. My husband and I own this little complex."

So this was the woman's landlord's wife? She appeared nice enough.

Ulquiorra took a bite out of the cookie and got crumbs all over his mouth. It was warm and the chocolate chips were still a little melted from the heated oven. It was delicious.

Mrs. Taka laughed slightly and wiped the crumbs from Ulquiorra's lip. "You remind me of my son. He used to always make a mess whenever he ate my cookies. And he could never seem to button a shirt straight either," she pointed to the mismatched buttons of his shirt. "Let me get that for you, dear." She fixed the shirt in a speed one could only obtain through years of practice. "There we are."

Ulquiorra swallowed. He had never really known a mother, or grandmother's, touch. This was completely new to him. "Thank you."

"It's no problem," Mrs. Taka dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I can't just let a handsome young man like you walk around looking like a five year old just buttoned his shirt. Now then," she sat down at the table and smiled at him, "why don't you tell me who's got your heart all in a fix?"

Ulquiorra's mind suddenly flashed back to how the woman had kissed him before he left and his eyes quickly darted in the direction towards her apartment. "It is nothing."

But Mrs. Taka knew that it wasn't "nothing", she had seen the love spread across his face when she brought it up and saw how his eyes had quickly darted in the direction where he had accidentally bumped into her. He might have thought she hadn't noticed, but after sixty-five years and two children she knew the signs.

"Ah, I take it you know Miss Inoue?" she asked.

Ulquiorra quickly shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth and swallowed it after a couple of chews in hopes of hiding the barely visible smile that pulled at the edges of his lips. "She would not recognize me."

Mrs. Taka sat on the edge of her seat. "Oh, so you do know her, and by the looks of it, you're madly in love with the girl. I don't blame you. She's a gorgeous girl who's got her mind in the right place. Why, my husband and I have come to see her as a daughter. You see both our son and daughter were killed in a car crash about the same time Orihime's older brother died."

"I am sorry to hear that," Ulquiorra said.

"It was such a tragedy," Mrs. Taka sighed and rested her head in her hands, "those drunk drivers cause so much trouble."

Ulquiorra could not help but feel a little sorry for the old woman. She had lost both of her children to a drunk driver. He could only imagine the hurt she felt.

"Anyway," Mrs. Taka said happily, "I think Orihime would definitely like you."

This caught Ulquiorra's attention. "Why is that?"

"A young gentleman like you, how could she not? You helped an old woman you didn't even know and have been so polite. I must say that I like you much more than that Kurosaki boy she has her eye on now," she informed.

A twinge of pride flared in Ulquiorra's heart of stone. This old woman did not care for Kurosaki either, and thought that he was a better match for Orihime than the orange haired weakling. The feeling gave way to a new emotion; hope.

"Well, thank you, Mrs. Taka," Ulquiorra said sincerely, "but I must be taking my leave. I have urgent business to take care of." He gently took the old woman's hand and said goodbye in the way he had grown up doing that expressed his true gratitude. He kissed her fingers lightly.

Mrs. Taka blushed slightly. "My, aren't you just a gentleman. Don't forget to come back and visit anytime, dear."

"I will try," Ulquiorra replied and left the apartment. Once he was outside he sprinted to Karakura High School. He needed to find Mademoiselle and fast. He did not know if he would be able to keep his promise to Mrs. Taka or not.

Orihime woke up once her alarm clock had alerted her that its snooze was over. She rolled over and turned it off. She had had the strangest dream. Phantom had turned into a black winged demon with black fur and hair, green eyes, greenish-gray tear marks on its face, two horns protruding from his head, and a long, chord-like tail.

The strangest part was that she hadn't been afraid of him. Actually she welcomed her with open arms, and when he was about to leave she had begged him not to go. Just the thought of it hurt her heart.

Then he whispered something in her ear. What was it again? "I am sorry, Orihime, but I must leave. You would not want me to remain here. For how could anyone love a murderer?" That was it.

She had felt a sudden urge that she couldn't fight even if she had wanted to. She had leaned up and touched her lips to Phantom's. He had firmly pressed his lips to hers and when it was all over he had turned into the handsomest man she had ever seen. He had piercing green eyes, thick, black hair, and a body that looked like it was chiseled out of marble like Michelangelo's "the David".

Orihime touched her fingers to her lips. That had been a pretty realistic dream. She could still feel his lips on hers.

She groaned as she sat up and stared at the clock. Someone had hit the snooze button when it had originally gone off. She had to hurry and get dressed or she'd be late for school.

"Oh, why do I keep hitting that button in my sleep?" she whined as she quickly changed into her uniform. "Come on, Phantom. We slept in." She looked at the bean-bag chair. He wasn't there.

"Phantom?" She rushed throughout the house, grabbing her lunchbox and school bag as she went. Sometimes he would be waiting for her at the door, but he wasn't there today. In fact, he wasn't anywhere in the house.

"Phantom, where are you?" Orihime was starting to feel worried. Phantom was gone. She reached to unlock the door and realized that it was already unlocked. A+B=C, and with Orihime's imagination, C meant...

"Oh my god, someone kidnapped Phantom!" she screamed.

Ulquiorra ignored the sighs of school girls, and many other women, as he made it to the school. He could not quite remember which way it was to the theater, so he searched for the one person he trusted enough to show him the way.

"I wonder what's taking Orihime and Phantom so long to get here?" Chizuru complained.

"Maybe she just slept in," Rukia suggested.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Tatsuki commented. "She's been up so late these past few nights watching that stupid movie. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't show up at all today."

Rukia looked over Tatsuki's shoulder and her jaw fell to the ground. "Who is that?" She pointed to Ulquiorra as he slowly walked over to them.

"I have no idea, but even I gotta say he's hot," Chizuru breathed.

Tatsuki stared at Ulquiorra as he stopped in front of their group. Something about him seemed familiar, but she wasn't sure what it was. Maybe it was the eyes.

"Excuse me," Ulquiorra tried to say as nonthreatening as possible, "would any of you happen to know where I could find the theater? I have a meeting with Mademoiselle."

Unfortunately Ulquiorra did not know that when he tried to make his voice sound nonthreatening, he had accidentally made it sound more seductive and mysterious. It was a problem he had always had. Even when he was a mercenary he was always stuck with speaking to women because he "had a certain way with them."

Tatsuki felt a slight blush create a thin line across her face and mentally kicked herself. This guy's face was as stoic as a brick, but something in his voice had caused her to blush like an elementary school girl. If anyone found out about this, her reputation would be ruined.

"I can show you where the theater is!" Rukia said excitedly.

Chizuru hit her upside the head. "No fair! You're already screwing one guy's brains out! Why do you get to show him where the theater is?"

"Why should you care? You're trying to get under Orihime's skirt!" Rukia shouted in reply.

The two girls bickering had escalated to an all out fight. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and sighed slightly. He suddenly wished that he was a dog again. Females never did this when he was a furry animal.

"I'll show you where the theater is," Tatsuki said dully and started walking. "Follow me."

Rukia and Chizuru stopped fighting as Ulquiorra followed obediently. Since when was Tatsuki so nice to boys, much less new boys?

Everyone stared at Ulquiorra as he followed a safe distance behind Tatsuki, who was hunching her shoulders and staring at the ground like an old woman while gritting her teeth. The male students either envied him, instantly hated him, or pulled their girlfriends closer to them as he passed. The female students tended to blush and giggle, or swoon at the sight of him; even if their boyfriends were standing right next to them.

Once they reached the entrance to the theater, Tatsuki turned on Ulquiorra and pointed her finger mere millimeters from his nose. "Alright, talk," she ordered. "I know you from somewhere! I demand to know where!"

Ulquiorra only stared down at the girl with emotionless eyes. "I have no idea what you are talking about," he said in the monotone voice he had centuries before. "Thank you for bringing me here."

He passed by a paralyzed Tatsuki and entered the theater. The lights were low and he could hear a woman's voice singing a song he did not recognize. It was as if heaven had opened its gates and was allowing every angel to sing in a wondrous chorus. The sound was enough to make Ulquiorra sick to his stomach.

"Hello," he called out in a deep voice that echoed easily in the theater's grand acoustics. The handsome, bass tone ricocheted off the walls and carried back to his ears. It was hard for him to believe that it belonged to him.

The singing stopped abruptly and everything was silent. Not even the lights were making their usual hum as the illuminated the interior in a dull, golden glow.

"Hello," a woman's voice said behind him.

Ulquiorra spun around and saw the woman who called herself, Mademoiselle. She was wearing a pair of blackish-gray jeans,a long-sleeved, dark purple shirt, and was sitting cross-legged on the railing leading up to the seats against the wall. How had she gotten there so quickly? He never saw her on his way in.

"You're not one of my students," Mademoiselle Leroux said sweetly, but it was a false kindness that was only revealed by the invisible smirk hiding in her eyes. "Can I help you?"

"I want to know what has happened to me," Ulquiorra demanded.

Mademoiselle cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "I am afraid I do not know what you mean."

Ulquiorra grabbed her shirt with inhuman speed. "Do not play coy with me. I know who you are. You sentenced me to a life of hell four-hundred years ago; forcing me to wander aimlessly throughout the countryside as a monster until I learned to love and sacrifice myself for another.  
"Up until last night, I was a winged beast who had learned to disguise myself as a mangy mongrel. This morning I woke up and found myself exactly the way I was before the curse. I demand to know why."

Mademoiselle smiled. "Ah, now I remember. How did that chant go again? Merciless man of cruelty and hate, repent for your heartless ways and learn to love and sacrifice yourself for another, or live forever in your cursed fate? Yes, I believe that was how it went."

Ulquiorra grabbed the woman by the throat and lifted her into the air. If he killed her, he may receive a little vengeance from the hundreds of years she had tortured him. All he would have to do was snap her neck like a twig and redemption would be his.

Mademoiselle smiled down at him. "Do you honestly think you can kill me, Ulquiorra? Have you forgotten that I am immortal? How many years do you think I have been living more than you?" She disappeared from his grasp and was suddenly behind him; holding a small blade to his throat.

"I have been alive for thousands of years. My life is as much as a curse as yours. However, I give my life meaning by giving the others the chance to repent for their cruel lives and start anew. Just as I did to you." She retracted the blade and it vanished in thin air.

"I cannot kill you, for you are still immortal. You are still under the curse," she informed and walked down the isle leading to the stage; humming the song she had been singing before.

Ulquiorra quickly followed her. "What do you mean I am still cursed? I have my body back. How can I still be living in that hell?" Mademoiselle jumped into the air and gently floated down onto the stage. Her clothes had changed into the exact same dress she had been wearing the first time he laid eyes on her.

" 'Merciless man of cruelty and hate, repent for your heartless ways and learn to love and sacrifice yourself for another, or live forever in your cursed fate.' What do you think that means? You must not only learn to love another, but you must be willing to sacrifice your life for theirs. That is the only way you will truly be free from this hell."

"But I do not understand," Ulquiorra said, squinting against the blinding light. "If that is what I must do to return to my old life, then why am I back into my human body. Please, tell me."

Mademoiselle walked towards him. Her clothes turned back into the jeans and shirt she had been wearing before and the light faded. "Unbutton your shirt," she instructed.

Ulquiorra quickly did as he was told.

"If you learn one of the two, you will be rewarded. Seeing that you have obtained your human body tells me that you have fallen in love with another. However," she lunged a sword deep into his stomach and pulled it out, the bleeding wound quickly healed, "the fact that you are still immortal tells me that you have not learned to sacrifice yourself for the one you love."

Ulquiorra placed his hand over the area where the maiden had just stabbed him. The pain was real, but the wound had disappeared as if it was never there. The only evidence that he had ever been stabbed was the still warm, crimson blood slowly crawling down the ripples of his abdomen.

There was a ripping sound as Mademoiselle tore the right sleeve from her shirt and walked towards him. "I may have created the conditions, but your own personality is what decides what reward you receive when you meet one of the requirements," she explained as she knelt down and wiped the blood away with her ripped sleeve. "When you learned to love, you would obtain your human form. When you learned to sacrifice yourself for the one you care deeply for, you lost your immortality." She rolled up the blood stained fabric and stood up.

"However, there is a limit. Depending on how much the lesson effected you, the longer you would be able to live with your reward. If the lesson of self-sacrifice had made little impact, or none at all, you would regain your immortality almost immediately. The same goes for love. If you realize that you love someone greatly, you will be able to keep your human form for as long as your personality will consent to."

"You mean that if I do not truly love the women I care for now as much as what my personality decides, I could just as easily turn back into that damn creature?" Ulquiorra asked. Panic was slowly raising deep within him.

"Yes," Mademoiselle replied.

"That makes no sense!" Ulquiorra shouted for the first time in his life. "Why is it that when I obtained damage when trying to protect the woman I still retained my immortality?"

"It could be that you were protecting her, but you were not willing to give up your life to save her. Protection and sacrifice are two different things. There are those who die protecting someone and never understand the meaning of self-sacrifice.

"A good example of this is Ichigo Kurosaki. He ran blindly into that fight almost a month ago because he wanted to protect the girls. He was not willing to die for them. He just wanted to protect them. Dying to protect is different than dying in self-sacrifice.  
"Another example, your sister knew the honor of self-sacrifice. She knew that she could not heal your wounded soul in this life, so she sacrificed herself at your hands in hopes that you could change. In hopes that she may be able to save you in the next life," Mademoiselle explained.

Ulquiorra dropped to his knees and stared at his hands. His sister knew self-sacrifice, and had acted on it to save him instead of herself. If she had only been selfish enough to treasure her own life instead of his, she would have lived. But she had never been the one to be selfish.

"Do you understand, Ulquiorra?" Mademoiselle asked. "Do you finally comprehend what you must do before you lose this woman just as you lost your sister?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra sobbed. He looked up at Mademoiselle with tears in his eyes. It was as if she were heaven's light itself. "I do."

Mademoiselle slowly walked off the stage and knelt down in front of him. She placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. The best part of what she did was not how those she cursed broke her spell and lived their lives with a new vigor. No, it was moments like this that made it worthwhile. It was when the poor souls finally realized what it was really going to take to free themselves from their fate, and swore to themselves to do whatever they could to truly change for the better. That was what Ulquiorra was doing right now.

"You can come out now, Tatsuki," Mademoiselle said. "I know that you have been watching this entire time."

Tatsuki slowly stood up from behind the row of seats in the highest part of the section next to the wall. How had Mademoiselle known she was there? Was what she had just witnessed real? If so, then she now understood where she had seen the man before. He was Orihime's dog, Phantom.

Mademoiselle held up her hand and gave her a "come here" gesture. She slowly walked down the isles until she reached the man named Ulquiorra and her teacher. They both stood up and it was silent.

"Now, since you saw and heard everything that went on here," Mademoiselle began, "you are going to help Ulquiorra."

"Huh?" Tatsuki asked dumbstruck. "How am I supposed to do that?"

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at the woman also. He was curious how this girl was supposed to aid him as well.

"Oh, I have an idea," Mademoiselle replied. There was a playful sparkle dancing in her eyes that neither Ulquiorra or Tatsuki liked.


	8. Chapter 8

Orihime shuffled to school in a world full of depression and despair. Someone had broken into her house in the middle of the night and stole Phantom right out from under her nose. First she lost her brother, now her dog. Was this some kind of way destiny was telling her that she was unfit to have someone who made her happy in her life?

The first bell rang just as she was walking through the gate leading to the schoolyard, but she didn't run to class like she normally would have. She just kept dragging her heels across the concrete as she unconsiously walked into the school and to her classroom with time to spare before the second bell.

"Orihime, you're finally here!" Chizuru squealed and hugged her tightly. Suddenly she froze and retracted her arms like she had just embraced a cactus. "You smell different."

"I do?" Orihime asked through a fake smile. "I haven't changed my shampoo or anything." She sniffed her shirt collar. Everything smelled the same to her.

Chizuru edged up to Orihime and smelled her like a drug dog inspecting a high school gym locker. She jumped back, pointed her finger accusingly at the distressed girl, and screamed. "Who have you been sleeping with?"

Orihime's eyes widened and she blushed in embarrassment. "What? I haven't been sleeping with anyone!"

"Then why do you reek of male?" Chizuru interrogated. She was glowering down at Orihime and fidgeting with her glasses like she was a special investigator questioning a possible suspect. "The only way anyone would smell that much like someone of the opposite sex is if they had been sleeping with them all night! I know. I've smelled Renji on Rukia many mornings."

"Hey, that's hitting it a little below the belt, Chizuru," Rukia scolded.

The red head pushed her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. "Well, it's true. So who was it, Orihime? What's the name of the man who's going to pay for sleeping with you without your consent?" Chizuru was getting more and more hostile by the second.

Orihime threw her hands up in defense. "Really, Chizuru, I haven't been sleeping with anyone! I don't even sleep with Phantom!" She paused and gazed at the floor with dull eyes.

Phantom had slept in her bed with her last night from what she could remember. Did the kidnappers sneak into her room and steal him from her bed? Had they really been so close to her without her knowing? The thought made her shiver.

"What's wrong, Orihime? I was just kidding," Chizuru apologized.

"No. It's not that," Orihime choked. "It's just that. Phantom's missing."

"What?" Rukia asked in disbelief.

Orihime nodded. "I woke up this morning and he wasn't anywhere in my apartment. When I was about to leave, I noticed that my front door was unlocked. I think someone broke in last night and kidnapped him."

"Come on, Orihime," Rukia said soothingly. "I doubt someone broke into your house just to steal Phantom. You probably just left the door unlocked and he probably found a way to open it. I'll bet he's just walking around town searching for you right now."

"Do you think so?" Orihime asked. She was starting to feel a little better. Maybe she had just forgotten to lock the door, and Phantom was either curled up on the sofa at home or on his way to school right now after realizing that she had left the house.

"Orihime," a voice said.

Orihime turned around and saw Ichigo standing behind her. There was something in his eyes that had been missing ever since that fight almost a month ago.

"Oh, good morning, Ichigo," she said and smiled sweetly.

"I'm sorry to hear about your dog," Ichigo continued. "I'm sure you're taking it really hard after loosing your brother and all."

Orihime raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ichigo looked slightly confused but quickly discarded the feeling. "I heard that your dog was dead. Are you feeling alright?"

Any comfort Orihime had felt suddenly disappeared. Phantom was dead? No, it couldn't be. He wouldn't have gone down easily, and someone would have called her if he had been hit by a car. Her number was inscribed on the dog tag of his collar...which was in her schoolbag.

"Phantom's...dead? Where did you hear that?" She asked a little more hostile than she had intended. "Who told you he was dead?"

Ichigo raised both of his eyebrows. "Actually, I saw him. Some kid brought him into my dad's clinic early this morning. He didn't have a collar or tags on him, but he looked like your mutt. At least, from what I could see, he looked like your dog."

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked breathlessly.

"Well, I'm not sure how to explain it," Ichigo began. "To be perfectly honest, the dog was hard to identify. He was covered in pretty severe wounds. It looked like someone had really gone to town on him before they dumped him under the bridge where the kid found him practically dead."

"Then how do you know if it was really Phantom?" Rukia demanded. "It could have just been some other dog with black fur."

Ichigo answered her question with one of his own. "How many other black dogs do you see with green eyes?"

Orihime felt the strings of her heart slowly snap one by one. Green was not a usual color for a dog's eyes to be. That's one thing that had attracted her to Phantom in the first place.

Tatsuki walked through the door and over to where Chizuru, Rukia, Orihime, and Ichigo were standing. "Hey, you guys, what's up?"

"Phantom's gone missing," Chizuru answered immediately. "Orihime said that he was nowhere in her apartment when she woke up this morning and that her front door was unlocked. Rukia tried to knock some sense into her, but Ichigo started saying that some kid brought dog that looked just like him into his father's clinic and that he was dead."

Tatsuki glared at Ichigo. "Really, Ichigo, you think Phantom's dead? Then where's your proof? I won't believe a word of it until I see justifiable proof." She knew "Phantom" wasn't dead. He was sitting in the theater, talking to Mademoiselle.

Ichigo sighed and dug in his pocket. "I hoped that I wouldn't need this, but I guess it can't be helped," he pulled a picture out of his jeans and held it up for them all to see, "here. Do you believe me now?"

Orihime nearly fainted. It was a picture of a severed, green eye. The eye was covered in blood and still had the cord attached to the back of the sphere. She was going to be sick.

"The mutt's eye was just barely hanging on by a thread, and when we set him down on the table the eye just snapped free and landed on the floor." Ichigo returned the picture to his back pocket. For a person telling one of his friends that her dog was brutally murdered, he didn't appear too sorry about it.

Tatsuki was about to inflict some serious damage to the orange haired boy's head when the teacher ran into the room.

"Class," Ms. Kurenai rushed in a panicked voice, "I need you to listen very carefully. One of the custodians found three gas leaks in the school. The principal has instructed all of the teachers to send the students home for the day, so any homework, projects, labs, or anything else that was scheduled for today has been moved to tomorrow. Now please exit the building in a calm and organized manner."

Why is it whenever you hear that you get to go home early you go completely berserk, no matter what the cause? There could be a blizzard, a bomb in the boiler room, a gas leak, or a fire. Once the school's higher ups say that students get to go home, everyone goes insane. That's pretty much what everyone in that classroom did, except for Orihime and Tatsuki.

"This is awesome!" Rukia squealed. "We get to go home early!"

"Yeah," Chizuru seconded, "and since we're all here it counts as a full day!"

Tatsuki walked beside Orihime the whole way off of the school premises. "Hey, Orihime, I'm sure Phantom's still alive. Ichigo probably just said all of that to get a rise outta ya. He never really did like Phantom, especially after those thugs attacked us a month ago and he took care of the guy who beat him up so easily."

Orihime nodded. Ichigo was right. How many dogs did you see with green eyes, much less with black fur and green eyes? The picture of the severed eye kept playing in her head over and over again.

Tatsuki frowned and stared at the ground.

"How am I supposed to help him?" she had asked Mademoiselle. "I just heard about this whole thing! What can I do?"

"It is not so much as what you can do. It is who you know," Mademoiselle answered. "You know Orihime Inoue better than anybody in this school, except for say Phantom here."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and finished buttoning his shirt. He was not amused by Mademoiselle's sense of humor.

"At any rate," Mademoiselle continued, "if anyone asks who Ulquiorra is, I want you to tell them that he is your great-uncle's, nieces, brothers, son twice removed. If they do not understand that, then say that it is just easier to say that he is your distant cousin who happens to be my nephew."

Tatsuki's head was spinning like a top. "He's my uncle's, mother's, niece's, daughter's, son who happens to also be your nephew and my distant cousin? Ugh, my head hurts!"

Mademoiselle nodded and smiled. "Precisely. If I have learned anything in the thousands of years I have been alive, it is that the more complex and confusing something is the less chance there is of them questioning it. It is especially true when it comes to one's relatives. If I had told you that Ulquiorra was my great-great-great-granddaughter's, nephew's, niece's, son, would you have questioned me?"

This sent Tatsuki's head on a whole knew Tilt-a-Whirl. "My brain hurts just thinking about it." She slowly sat down and placed her head between her knees.

"As will many others'," Mademoiselle informed. "Once their brains are full to bursting you will just say that Ulquiorra is a distant cousin of yours. And if they ask about his relations to me, just say that he is my nephew and that you are not related to me in any way."

And so began Tatsuki's jack-hammer headache. She had remembered to make her "relationship" with Ulquiorra as confusing as she could possibly make it, but that was about it. There was one other thing that she remembered Mademoiselle explaining.

Even though Ulquiorra's time in his human form was limited, he could postpone the countdown by morphing back to his dog or winged beast state. That would stop the clock for as long as he was in either of the two bodies. It had been decided that he would spend his evenings as Phantom as not to worry Orihime, a little to late for that, and use the his days however he see fit.

"Tatsuki," Orihime said shyly; saving her friend from her confusing thoughts.

"Yeah, what is it, Orihime?" Tatsuki replied. She could already feel her headache subsiding.

"Do you think we could go to the ice-cream store," Orihime's voice was so quiet it was barely audible, "and maybe see if Phantom's lying underneath the bridge afterward?"

Tatsuki smiled halfheartedly at her friend. "Sure," she turned at the corner and walked towards the small ice-cream store down the block. "To bad he won't be lying under the bridge," she thought.

Ulquiorra was walking towards the woman's apartment. He had been instructed to go home due to a gas leak in the school along with the rest of the student body. The only problem was that he did not have a home when he was in this body. So instead he went to the only place he knew he could at least visit, Mr. and Mrs. Taka's.

It was only about ten o'clock, since he had decided to take the long way home, but it was already hot outside. The weatherman on a TV screen he had passed when we had walked by an electronics store had said that it was going to be ninety degrees and humid. It was not a good day to be wearing a dark brown, long-sleeved shirt, even if it was thin, and black jeans.

Ulquiorra walked onto the small apartment complex and noticed an old man trying desperately to start a lawnmower. It was Mr. Taka. He was drenched with sweat and had a pained expression on his face.

"This darn thing," he huffed. "I've got to get this starter fixed one of these days."

Ulquiorra walked up to the old landlord. "Excuse me, sir. Would you like some help with that?"

Mr. Taka jumped in surprise. He hadn't heard Ulquiorra walk up to him over the constant whine of the mower's engine. "Uh, yes, thank you," he said gratefully. "Thank you very much."

Ulquiorra had never started a lawnmower before, but he had witnessed other men do it before. He mimicked their movements by holding the bar to the handle and pulling on the starter cord. The mower roared to life with one, swift pull.

Mr. Taka's jaw nearly fell to the ground. "Why, thank you, young man. There aren't to many of you around these days who'll just stop and help an old man like this. I really appreciate it."

He reached for the mower's handlebars and Ulquiorra gently swept his hand away. The old man was already perspiring furiously. Continuing with such strenuous physical labor could not have been good for his health.

"How about I mow the yard? You look like you could use a break," Ulquiorra suggested. He was trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Why aren't you a sight," Mr. Taka exclaimed. "First you start my mower. Now you're offering to cut the grass. I admire your enthusiasm, son. It's not everyday I meet a young gentleman such as yourself." He stood next to Ulquiorra and pointed at various points of the yard.

"The grass needs to be cut in the area up to the fence line. There's a few trees to go around in the back and the one here in front. Be careful of any hoses that might be lying in the yard, but I think I got them all rolled up. Do you have any questions?"

Ulquiorra shook his head and pushed the lawnmower until it was pressed up against the fence. He had no idea how to mow a yard, but he had watched many people do it before. All he had to do was copy what they all did and he would be fine.

It took Ulquiorra a half an hour to mow the yard; causing Mr. Taka to nearly have a heart attack. Normally it took at least two hours to mow the entire area, and the fastest time anyone had ever cut it was an hour. He had cut it in half that time and had cut it perfectly.

"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle," Mr. Taka said in disbelief. "It usually takes me two hours to cut this monster, and here you did it in a quarter of the time. I'm impressed, son."

"Thank you," Ulquiorra said. He was panting slightly. The heat had forced him to tie the woman's deceased brother's shirt around his waist so it would not obtain any sweat stains. At more than one occasion a few girls would stop on the other side of the metal fence and watch him.

"Here," Mr. Taka held out a tall glass of water, "you look like you could use a drink."

Ulquiorra took the glass gratefully and downed its contents in two swallows. It was hot and there were girls watching him work, but it felt good to be doing some kind of physical labor in his human body again. He had forgotten what it was like to feel a kind of pride after completing a strenuous task.

There was a cry and he and Mr. Taka ran to the tree in the corner of the yard. There was a little girl with long, braided, brown pigtails, wearing a red, coverall dress and a yellow t-shirt crying under the tree.

"What's wrong, Ayame?" Mr. Taka asked.

"M-my k-kitten's stuck in the t-tree," the little girl cried, and pointed to a branch about halfway up the tree. There was a small kitten with blue eyes and brown fur with a white chest and paws clinging to a branch approximately fifteen feet up.

"Not again," Mr. Taka sighed, and turned to Ulquiorra. "Could you stay here with her while I go get the ladder?"

Ulquiorra untied the shirt from around his waist, receiving a wave of sighs and gasps from the mob of five girls standing on the other side of the fence, and gave it to the old man. "Hold onto this, please."

Mr. Taka took the shirt. "What are you doing, son?"

Ulquiorra walked underneath the lowest branch, which was still five feet above his head, and jumped; grabbing the limb easily. He pulled himself onto the branch and began climbing the tree until he was able to gently grab the frightened kitten and tuck it into the crook of his arm. "That girl is making quite a fuss over you."

The kitten mewed in reply and started purring.

Ulquiorra slowly descended the tree and dropped to the ground. He knelt down in front of the little girl and held out her kitten. "Here you go."

There was an eruption of applause from his fans as the little girl smiled at him and grabbed her cat. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she squealed as she hugged her squirming kitten. No wonder the thing ran up the tree. The girl kissed Ulquiorra's cheek in gratitude and ran back into the apartment complex.

"That's some jump you got there," Mr. Taka said, handing Ulquiorra back 'his' shirt. "You know. I never got your name. My name's Mr. Taka," he held out his hand, "my wife and I own this little complex."

Ulquiorra grasped the old man's hand firmly. "My name is Ulquiorra, Ulquiorra Shiffer."

There was a flash in Mr. Taka's eyes. "Ah, so you're the young man my wife told me about this morning. I should thank you for helping her this morning, but I'm not sure if I should. My wife's been talking about you nonstop all day. I'm starting to get a little jealous," he laughed.

Ulquiorra failed to catch the humor in what he had said and neatly folded the shirt in his hands. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Sir?"

"Oh, please, call me Mr. Taka. I haven't been called Sir since I retired from the army," Mr. Taka scanned the yard and apartment building, "and, actually, there are a few more things you could help me with. If you don't mind."

"Not at all," Ulquiorra replied.

"You truly are a gentleman," Mr. Taka laughed. "Well, then follow me and I'll show you what else we need to do."

The first thing Orihime noticed as she walked up to the apartment complex was the hoard of twenty, no, thirty girls of all ages crowding around the fence. None of them lived here. What was going on?

"Excuse me. What's going on?" she asked a girl she recognized from her class. She had black hair that reached her shoulders and black eyes.

"Apparently the landlord hired a new maintenance guy," the girl said excitedly. "He is so HOT! He can come over to my house and mow my yard anytime."

Orihime slowly worked her way through the crowd. She couldn't help but hear some of the girls say something about the hot, new maintenance worker.

"Oh my god, he is so HOT!"

"I'm jealous of any girl who gets to live here!"

"Do you think he has a girlfriend?"

"I hope he's not married!"

"Oh, come on, he doesn't look old enough to be married!"

"I wonder how old he is!"

"Did you see the way he saved that little girl's cat from the tree? What a man!"

Orihime finally broke free of the crowd of girls and almost landed flat on her face. She looked around the complex. The only people she could see were Mr. and Mrs. Taka having a slightly heated conversation in the doorway of their house.

"I don't care if they are 'just girls', Kaete," Mr. Taka said sternly. "They have no right standing outside our gate and stare at him like that! He's a very well rounded gentleman who doesn't need to be pestured by hormonally crazed girls."

"I understand that, Nagato, but do we really have to get the police involved? They're just girls who happen to find him very attractive," Mrs. Taka replied, holding a glass of water in one hand and fidgeting with a brown shirt in the other.

"They find him attractive alright. One of 'em thought he was so attractive they tackled him to the ground while he was clipping the hedges. The look he gave that girl. I swear if that boy wasn't so much of a gentleman he would've thrown that floozy off of him and kicked her off the property in a heartbeat," Mr. Taka huffed.

"Yeah, he let you do that. What I don't understand is why we need to get the cops involved," Mrs. Taka sighed. "You know what they're going to say. They're going to tell us that since the girls aren't on our property they can't do anything about it. We'd be lucky if they even said anything to that hoard out there."

"I don't care!" Mr. Taka finally snapped. "That boy has one of the best work ethics I've ever seen in my life. I would appreciate it if he came around more often. I'd even let him stay here for free, but those girls!"

Mrs. Taka saw Orihime approaching and waved happily. "Orihime, how are you, dear?"

"I'm...alright," Orihime lied. "What's going on here? Why are there thirty girls crowded around the fence?"

Mr. Taka's eyes widened immensly. "Thirty! The last time I counted there were ten! That's it! I'm calling the cops!" He stormed into the small apartment.

Mrs. Taka quickly followed her husband. "Wait a minute, Nagato!"

Orihime stood in the old couple's doorway and blinked. She was confused. How had one man caused so much controversy?

"Just hear me out, Nagato," Mrs. Taka's voice carried through the house. "The girls won't stand behind the fence and watch him if they think he already has someone. Let's just try this first and if it doesn't work you can call the cops."

It was silent as Mr. Taka mulled it over.

"Alright, Kaete, but we're only trying this once. If it doesn't work, I'm going to call the cops. And if that doesn't keep them at bay, I'll get a restraining order," Mr. Taka warned. "So, who do you have in mind to make all those estrogen crazed, teenaged girls' enemy?"

"Someone I think he already has feelings for," Mrs. Taka said mischievously.

Orihime hadn't noticed that she had been leaning closer and closer to the door as Mr. and Mrs. Taka's conversation got quieter. She jumped back when the old couple came out of their apartment and laughed idiotically. "So, uh, what's going on?"

Mrs. Taka held out the glass of water. "Orihime, dear, could you bring this to the young man in the garage? I forgot all about it and unfortunately I can't leave my husband alone or he'll go and call the police."

"Of course," Orihime took the glass of cold water and ran over to the garage that looked more like a storage shed with all the individual rooms. She stepped into the shaded room only to realize that it was hotter inside than it was outside even with the door open. "Hello, is anyone in here?"

CLANG!

Orihime jumped slightly at the sudden noise and accidently kicked someone's leg. There was a man half under Mr. Taka's nineteen-fifty-three Oldsmobile. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!" She really hadn't, but the excuse seemed almost too fake.

"It is alright," a low voice replied. It was a very attractive voice from what Orihime could tell.

Ulquiorra had been slightly surprised by the woman's voice calling into the garage, and it caused him to lose grip of the wrench in his hand. It had slammed against the vehicle's axle and nearly hit his head on the ricochet. Now he was talking to her from underneath a ton of metal; not exactly how he had expected his first conversation with her to be. He rolled out from under the car and sat up

Orihime almost dropped the water she was carrying when the boy rolled out from under her landlord's car. It was no wonder girls were crowded outside the fence. He was gorgeous! The slightly messy yet neat, black hair, the piercing green eyes, the thin yet muscular body with a scar on his shoulder and ribs that only added to his air of mystery, even his voice was enough to make her blush like an idiot and go weak at the knees.

"Oh, um, here, Mrs. Taka wanted me to give this to you!" Orihime held out the glass of water, but she had more thrown it instead of handed it and splashed the water all over Ulquiorra's head. Now he was dripping wet; that wasn't helping her in the least. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

Ulquiorra took a quick intake of breath as the cold water splashed against his body. After the initial shock, the water felt amazing.

"Do not worry about it," he said as nonthreatening as possible. "In fact, it felt nice. Thank you." He stood up and shook his head slightly to remove some of the water.

"Uh, you're welcome," Orihime replied. Her cheeks were glowing they were so red. Ulquiorra had tried to sound nonthreatening and accidentally made his voice sound seductive instead. It was almost too much for her to handle.

"What are you two doing in there?" Mrs. Taka called.

"Uh, nothing, nothing at all," Orihime yelled back. She turned back towards Ulquiorra and bowed. "E-excuse me! I have to go give Mrs. Taka her glass back!" She ran out of the garage before she could make an even bigger fool of herself.

Ulquiorra stood there and mentally cursed himself. The woman had been right there in front of him and he could not even bring himself to tell her his name. What was wrong with him? This is what he had wanted. To be human again so he could talk to her without frightening her. How could he have been so weak?

He was about to slam his fist against the vehicle's hood but stopped just inches from its exterior. Even though he was human, he could have easily dented the old man's Oldsmobile. Instead he walked over to the workbench and gripped the edges with both hands.

His heart was beating so fast it felt as if it was about to burst from his chest at any minute. He dug his nails into the hard steel of the workbench and felt the metal slowly form to the shape of his fingertips. Weak, he was weak.

Orihime quickly ran up to Mrs. Taka and tried not to shake as she handed her the empty glass. The amount of adrenaline coursing through her body was practically lethal. How could she have been so stupid in front of him? She didn't even know him.

"So, what do you think?" Mrs. Taka asked, taking the glass from Orihime's trembling hand. "He's pretty cute, huh?"

Orihime blushed an even deeper shade of red and nodded. That was all she could do. Her tongue was determined not to let anything out of her mouth so she wouldn't say anything stupid.

"Did something happen in there, dear?" Mrs. Taka asked. There was a slight smirk in her eyes that implied that she had expected something to have happened between them.

"H-he didn't drink the water," Orihime whispered. "I-I accidentally dumped it on him." She covered her face in her hands and shook her head back and forth. "I feel so stupid! How do you accidentally dump a glass of water on someone?"

Mrs. Taka put an arm over Orihime's shoulders. "Oh, dear, dear, don't fret over it. I'll bet that it was probably the best thing he's felt all day. He's been working out in this heat since ten o'clock this morning. Having a pretty girl like you cool him off must have been heaven to him."

There was a loud bang inside the garage that made all three of them jump.

"I'll be right back." Mr. Taka quickly ran over to the garage and stepped into he blazing hot shade. He saw Ulquiorra, still dripping with water, clutching the edges of his reinforced, stainless steel workbench with one hand and his other hand balled up into a fist that was shaking on the table next to his head. "Are you alright, son?"

The sound of the old man's voice calmed Ulquiorra down enough for him to stop shaking. "No, I'm not. I finally have the opportunity to talk to her and I couldn't even tell her my name." The table began to whine in protest as his hand started bending the metal as if it were a piece of rubber. "What kind of man cannot even tell a woman his name?"

Mr. Taka smiled slightly. Now he understood what his wife had meant earlier. He placed his hand on Ulquiorra's shoulders and chuckled. "A man who's fallen in love harder than an anvil drops on someone's head from the top of the Eiffel Tower. I used to be the same way with Kaete."

Ulquiorra's grip loosened on the workbench and he stared at the old man. "How would you redeem yourself if you were me?" He could hardly believe that those words had come from his own mouth, but then again he was having a hard time coping with a lot of new things. If he really thought about it, it did not really surprise him at all.

Mr. Taka ran his hand over his sandpaper like face. He had not shaved in a while and his wife was starting to get upset with him. "Me? Well, I guess I would go right outside, apologize for being so rude, and tell her my name."

Ulquiorra exhaled deeply through his nose, laughing silently at himself. "That is almost to simple."

"True, but sometimes it's the simplest things that have the most impact," Mr. Taka said, and patted Ulquiorra's shoulder. "Remember, young pup, I've been happily married to the woman of my dreams for over forty-five years. It might be a good idea to take an old dog's advice."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and smiled slightly. "You may appear older than me, but I am old enough to be your great-grandfather's, father's, great-grandfather, if not older. To me, you are the young pup," he thought.

"So," Mr. Taka walked over to the door, "what are you gonna do?"

"What do you mean?" Ulquiorra stood up straight, feeling the cool water from his hair run down his back, neck, shoulders, and chest. "I am going to go out there and tell the woman my name."

Orihime and Mrs. Taka had been straining to hear anything the two men might have been saying, but with no luck.

"You know," Mrs. Taka said after three minutes, "that boy in there knows you."

"Huh?" Orihime stared at the old woman with wide eyes. "He knows me?"

Mrs. Taka nodded. "Mm-hm, that's what he told me this morning. You see. He accidentally ran into me and I had dropped all of my groceries on the ground. The young man was so nice to not only pick everything up, but he carried them to my house as well. "Anyway, once he had set everything on the kitchen table I asked him who had his heart all in a fix. There was a look that flashed across his face as his eyes quickly darted down the walkway towards your house; I felt like I was watching a good romance movie. He said that it was nothing at first, but I got the truth out of him, dear. I simply said 'I take it you know Miss Inoue' and do you know what he said?"

Orihime shook her head. This sounded like an excerpt from one of Rukia's romance novels. All that was missing was the part where the hero swept his woman away in his arms and kissed her passionately on the lips.

"He said, and I quote, 'she would not recognize me'," Mrs. Taka said. "Does he look familiar to you at all? Maybe you met him once when you two were just kids and you don't remember him." She sighed and smiled warmly. "He obviously remembers you from wherever you two must have met."

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing, dear," Mrs. Taka dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand, "nothing at all. Why don't we go and stand underneath the tree for a little while? There's not much shade under this walkway."

"Okay," Orihime followed Mrs. Taka over to the tree standing a few feet away from the garage and sighed. It was much cooler under the tree than it was next to the apartment complex.

"Kaete, could you come here for a second, please?" Mr. Taka called from the garage.

"Sure, dear," Mrs. Taka patted Orihime on the head and joined her husband in the garage.

"Actually, now that Mrs. Taka mentioned it. That boy does look familiar somehow," Orihime thought. "But, where have I seen him before?"

Ulquiorra had been standing on the other side of the tree for a few minutes before Mrs. Taka joined her husband in the garage doorway and left Orihime standing comfortably in the shade. He needed to think of a way to get the woman's attention that was not so dynamic that it would startle her, and was not so subtle that she would miss it. Finally he slowly walked around the tree and did the simplest thing he could think of.

"Hello."

Orihime jumped and slapped Ulquiorra square in the nose. There was an uproar from the mob of girls standing outside the gate as Ulquiorra barely flinched at the strike, and a small thread of blood slowly crawled out of his nose and onto his lip. He had not even felt the woman's hand make contact with his face.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" She held up her hands apologetically. "Y-you scared me. I didn't mean to hit you! First I spill water on you. Now I punch you in the nose! I am so so sorry! Here let me," she pulled a handkerchief out of her breast pocket and gently held it to Ulquiorra's nose.

"Do not worry about it. I did not feel anything. If you call that a punch, you need to work on strength training," Ulquiorra said in an attempt at human humor. He had never been a very funny person; even before the curse.

Orihime stared down at the ground. "I know I'm not very strong."

Ulquiorra felt a twinge of pain in his heart. "I apologize. Humor is not something I excel at. I did not mean to hurt your feelings." He gently pulled Orihime's hand from his nose; the bleeding had stopped almost immediately after she had struck him. "I am sorry. I never introduced myself. My name is Ulquiorra Shiffer."

"Ulquiorra," Orihime folded the practically clean handkerchief and tucked it back in her pocket, "that's a cool name. My name's Orihime Inoue, but I guess you already knew that. Mrs. Taka told me that you told her that you knew me this morning."

"Not exactly," Ulquiorra held out his hand, "it is a pleasure to meet you, Orihime Inoue."

Orihime placed her hand in his. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ulquiorra Shiffer." She felt better now that she knew he was not mad at her for spilling water on him or punching him in the nose. For the first time since this morning, she radiated a genuine smile that was enough to melt even the coldest of hearts.

Ulquiorra could feel a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. He brought Orihime's hand up to his lips. "If I may?"

A fresh blush colored Orihime's cheeks a rosy pink. She had no clue what to say at a time like this. Who asked a girl if it was alright to kiss her hand anymore? Who even kissed a girl on the hand anymore? It was so old fashioned she found it unbelievably charming. She nodded in approval.

Ulquiorra gently kissed Orihime's hand and her face turned fifty shades of red all at once. It was one of the most adorable things he had ever seen her do in the month he had known her. The strings of his heart pulled with agonizing strength as this thought came to him. He had known her for a month, but to her they had only known each other for a few minutes. The thought was painful.

There was a loud cracking noise and they both looked up. The tree branch hanging above them had suddenly snapped and was plummeting down towards them. Ulquiorra grabbed Orihime by the waist and jumped out of the way of the oncoming danger. The dead limb had barely missed them and was now lying at the base of the tree.

Ulquiorra pushed himself up on his hands and stared down at the woman shaking beneath him. "Are you alright?" For the first time in his life, he was worried. Had she been hit by one of the branche's outstretched fingers? Had he jumped to far and caused her to hit her head? These questions chased each other around in his head like a dog tormenting a cat.

Orihime gazed up at the man who saved her. The sun was tucked behind his masculine figure and he looked like a god kneeling over her. "Yes, I'm fine."

For a split second, their eyes locked with each other. And for that split second, everything made sense. Orihime knew who this man was and everything that was happening to him. Ulquiorra knew why he loved this woman and realized that he would do anything to make sure that she was safe and happy. For a split second, they knew everything there was to know about one another.

"God almighty," Mrs. Taka's voice screamed, "are you two alright?"

Ulquiorra and Orihime snapped out of their trance and forgot everything they had learned in that split second. Ulquiorra was once again a man Orihime had met a few minutes ago, and he was not as sure about anything anymore.

Ulquiorra heaved himself off of the woman and helped her to her feet. "We are fine. I must have forgotten to finish cutting that branch earlier when those girls rushed me."

"That's it! I'm calling the cops!" Mr. Taka yelled furiously. "If those damn floozies hadn't have been here in the first place, Ulquiorra could have finished cutting that branch and neither of these two would have almost been killed!" He stormed into the apartment and the three of them heard his voice as he practically screamed into the phone.

"I should be leaving," Ulquiorra said dully as he put his shirt back on. "It is getting late. I would hate to bother any of you any more."

"Why don't you stay a while longer, Ulquiorra, dear?" Mrs. Taka suggested kindly. "My husband and I would be more than happy to have you over for dinner."

"I appreciate the offer, Mrs. Taka, but I must be going. You and your husband would not want someone like me around." Ulquiorra turned around was about to leave when someone grabbed his shirt sleeve. He looked behind him and his eyes widened. It was the woman who was holding him back.

"Then why don't you stay for dinner at my house?" Orihime proposed. "It's going to feel a little empty without Phantom being there."

Mr. Taka came out of the house and stood next to his wife. "Your dog's missing, Orihime? That's awful! How did that happen?"

"I-I don't know. When I woke up this morning, he was nowhere in the apartment and the door was unlocked," Orihime stiffled a sob, "I think someone might have kidnapped him in the middle of the night and killed him. Ichigo came up to me during school today and said that someone had brought in a beat up, black dog with green eyes early this morning, and that he had died shortly afterward."

Mrs. Taka held Orihime in a comforting embrace. "Oh, sweetie, I doubt it was your dog. Did Kurosaki say that the dog had Phantom written on the tag?"

Orihime shook her head. "No, but that's only because," she pulled the collar out of her schoolbag, "I have Phantom's collar right here. I never put it on him unless we're about to go out. Other than that I don't make him wear it. He doesn't like the way it feels on his neck but puts up with it when we're not in the house." She continued to cry.

"I still doubt it was Phantom," Mr. Taka said. "I have nothing against Ichigo's father, but the man's a doctor; not a vet. His son probably just saw the mutt and automatically assumed that it was your dog. I've seen dogs with green eyes before. It's not common, but it does happen."

Ulquiorra could not help but feel ashamed. The woman was crying all because of him. He had left her all alone, and now she was sad and hurt. He had to do something to make her stop crying, but what? He could not just morph into Phantom right here and now. What would they think? No, he had to think of something else.

"What does your dog look like?" He asked.

Orihime stepped away from Mrs. Taka and wiped her eyes. "He's big, had sort of shaggy, black fur, and green eyes. He's not the kind of dog who would just wander up to people though. He's kind of distant."

"Hm," Ulquiorra pretended to think about the description the woman had given him, "I think I might have seen a dog like that earlier today before I ran into Mrs. Taka."

Orihime's eyes suddenly glowed. "You did?"

"Possibly, does he have a scar on his shoulder?

"Yes!" Orihime was radiating with joy. "Yes, that's him! That's Phantom!" She jumped up and down. "This is amazing! Now I can just go to your house and pick him up and-"

"I'm sorry," Ulquiorra said, "but I do not have him."

All the light in Orihime's personality was extinguished. "What do you mean?"

"I do not have your dog. I only saw him. Even if I had captured him, I have no place in which to bring him." Ulquiorra felt terrible for cutting the woman down when she was so happy. The minute he was alone he would turn into Phantom and go back to her.

"You have no place in which to bring him?" Mrs. Taka repeated. "Ulquiorra, do you have a place to live?"

Orihime's eyes widened and she stared at Ulquiorra. "You're homeless?"

Ulquiorra suddenly felt awkward. True he had no home when he was in this body, but when he was Phantom he lived with the woman. Technically he was not homeless, but his human form was.

"I have to leave. If I see your dog, I will return him to you." He ran out the gate before anyone could stop him.

"The poor dear," Mrs. Taka sobbed. "If I had known he had no place to stay, I would have been more persistent in having him stay for dinner. It's no wonder he's so thin. Who knows how long it's been since he's had a decent meal? And he was so polite this morning when I offered him a cookie, he would have turned it down had I not insisted."

"The next time I see him I'm going to hire him to help around the building and let him stay here as payment," Mr. Taka said. "It's the least I could do." He and his wife nodded and went inside. It was starting to get dark out.

Orihime stood outside her apartment door for another hour before going in. Ulquiorra was so nice. Someone like him didn't deserve to be living on the streets. If she ever saw him again, she would have to invite him over or something. He had saved her life after all.

A cool breeze rustled her hair and she shivered. "I better go inside before I catch a cold."

Ulquiorra had found a small piece of paper and an old shoestring at the park. He had gone into the small pet store where the woman had bought his collar and dog tags and used the pen to write a note on the paper before tying it to the string and wrapping it around his neck.

He returned to the apartment complex and waited until all of the lights were off to take off his clothes and drape them over the railing of the woman's balcony. "I hope this works." He morphed into Phantom and jumped down from the tree limb reaching up to the balcony. Mademoiselle had been right.

He quickly ran around to the staircase and sprinted to the woman's door. The woman was still awake. He could hear her feet shuffling on the floor.

"Please let this work," he thought, and pressed the doorbell before sitting down obediently.

The door opened and the woman stood in front of him. Tears were forming in her eyes and she flung her arms around his neck. "Phantom, you're alright! You're alright!" She cried into his thick coat.

Ulquiorra felt a mixture of joy and sorrow. He had caused the woman so much pain by leaving, but had healed her heart by simply returning in this form. It was a beautiful, yet horrible feeling.

Orihime noticed the piece of paper tied around Ulquiorra's neck and gently pulled it off of his neck. "What's this, boy?"

Ulquiorra looked over into the treeline on the other side of the fence seperating the complex's property from the building on the other side. There was nothing there, but he had to make the woman think there was.

"Is there something there?" Orihime asked and walked over to the stairs. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but for a split second she could have sworn she saw someone on the other side of the fence. "Let's go inside and read this note, Phantom," She said and quickly ran into the apartment; locking the door behind them.

Orihime sat down on the couch while Ulquiorra laid at her feet. "I wonder where this came from?" She opened the note and read the beautiful script.

Orihime,  
I found Phantom. It was surprisingly easy. He was wondering around the high school sniffing the ground. My guess is that he was looking for you. All I had to say was your name and he complied easily. Try not to get so worked up if Phantom ever goes missing again. You are much more beautiful when you smile.  
With love,  
Ulquiorra

P.S. Yes, I sign my letters 'with love' when writing to a friend. It is just the way I was raised. (I told you humor was not something I excelled at.)

Orihime felt tears pricking behind her eyes. He had not only saved her, but he had found Phantom too. She had to thank him somehow, but how? She looked down at Ulquiorra and raised an eyebrow. "Got any idea how I can thank him?"

Ulquiorra was enjoying this enough as it was. "I do not need to be thanked, woman. I am perfectly content knowing that you are happy. That is all that matters."

Okay, so he had not forgotten everything that he had learned in the split second their eyes met when the woman was lying beneath him.


	9. Chapter 9

Orihime woke up before her alarm clock had the chance to go off the next morning. She was refreshed with a new vigor that had been missing all day yesterday and practically bounced out of bed. Ichigo had been wrong, Phantom was safe and sleeping in his bean-bag chair, she had met a nice boy yesterday who had saved her and returned him unharmed, and Mademoiselle was going to be holding the try-outs for "the Phantom of the Opera" today. It was hard to tell which one of those was more exciting for her. It was a pretty close tie between all of them.

"Good morning, Phantom," Orihime hummed sweetly as she petted Ulquiorra's neck. She was mainly running her hand over his fur for the twelfth time in ten hours to make sure he was not hurt, but every time she would start she would forget all about that and would just be petting him so she could play with his soft fur.

Ulquiorra slowly stirred from his comatose state. The woman was kneeling so close to him his head was practically in her lap. It would not have bothered him so much if his nose had been jammed anywhere else besides the soft spot between her legs.

He stood up and stretched. His muscles pulled slightly from the work he did yesterday, but it did not hurt. In fact, it felt great. He could hardly remember the last time his body felt so good after any kind of physical labor that did not include fighting.

Orihime giggled at Ulquiorra as he conducted his sixteen point stretch. "I take it you're feeling good this morning."

Ulquiorra sat down and huffed in reply. How could he not be feeling well this morning? Yesterday had been one of the best days of his life. For once in his life, he was eager to see what the day had in store for him.

"Alright, then," Orihime grabbed Ulquiorra's collar from her bedside table and unbuckled it, "let's get your collar on and get going!"

Ulquiorra stared at the collar. If he went with the woman as Phantom, he would not be able to turn into a human. He had to come up with a way to make the woman go to school alone, even if the thought of her going all by herself made him sick, so he could morph back into his human self and meet her later. He growled slightly and backed away from the black leather.

"What's wrong, Phantom?" Orihime asked. This was the first time he had ever backed away from his collar. "I know you don't like it very much, but you need to wear it in public."

Ulquiorra growled and exhaled through his nose. He trotted over to the woman's bedside table and grabbed the shoelace he had tied around his neck last night between his teeth and dropped it into the woman's hands with a slight sigh. There was no way in hell he was going to whine, but he would sigh.

"Oh, I get it," Orihime exclaimed. "Your neck is sore from the shoelace. But I can't bring you to school unless you're wearing your collar, not after what happened yesterday."

So far so good, now all Ulquiorra had to do was look heartbroken because the woman was not allowing him to leave without his collar and everything should fall into place. He gazed up into her gray eyes with the second best puppy eyes he had ever used; even though this was his second time using such a face.

Orihime's heart melted and her eyes softened like butter. She had to look away from Ulquiorra just to talk straight. "No! No, I'm not falling for that sad puppy-dog look, Phantom. I said you're not coming to school with me without wearing your collar, and I meant it!" She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and groaned in frustration.

"No! No! No! No! You are staying here and that's final!" She quickly stood up and rushed out of her room, grabbing her lunchbox and schoolbag off the kitchen table as she flung open the door. "I'll see you when I get home from school, Phantom!" She closed the door firmly behind her and ran down the stairs.

Ulquiorra smirked to himself in triumph; jackpot. He quickly morphed into his winged form and used his tail to grab the clothes he had worn yesterday off the balcony railing. He was not wasting time just to open a door and grab articles of clothing. Besides, who knows what would happen if the neighbors saw a naked man walking out onto the woman's balcony?

Much to Orihime's relief, it was nowhere near as hot this morning as it had been yesterday. The air was cool, the birds were chirping happily, and she noticed that the trees were beginning to change color. Some had even turned into gorgeous shades of red, orange, and gold over night. The only problem was that she had forgotten to wear a sweater; she had remembered to put on her vest, but forgot a sweater.

"Orihime, Orihime, dear," a woman's voice called.

Orihime turned around and saw Mrs. Taka waving her over. "Oh, hello, Mrs. Taka, I didn't see you. How are you this morning?"

"Oh, I'm fine dear," Mrs. Taka replied warmly. "I was just about to go inside and make myself a cup of tea, but I'm happy I decided to stay outside a little longer. I wanted to ask you something."

"Alright, I'm all ears," Orihime said.

"You see, dear, it's my and my husband's forty-sixth anniversary today," Mrs. Taka informed.

"Oh, congratulations," Orihime squealed. It always made her happy to hear that it was someone's anniversary.

"Thank you, dear, but you didn't let me finish," Mrs. Taka continued. "You see, my husband and I were wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tonight and celebrate with us?"

Orihime's eyes widened. "You want me to join you for your anniversary dinner? I couldn't! It's such a special day. I wouldn't want to ruin it."

"Nonsense," Mrs. Taka laughed slightly, "we used to have our kids join us on our anniversary all the time before they died. The past few dinners we've had have felt so empty with those two vacant chairs sitting at the table. It would mean the world to us if you would come."

"Well," Orihime thought for a minute, "alright I'll be there! What time should I come over? Should I bring anything? What should I wear?"

Mrs. Taka laughed heartily. "Don't worry yourself so much, dear. Be over at about seven o'clock, you don't need to bring anything but you can if you want, and just wear something nice. It doesn't have to be overly formal."

"Okay, then I'll see you at seven. I have to get to school," she turned and ran towards the gate, "I'll see you later, Mrs. Taka!"

Ulquiorra waited until he was absolutely positive that the woman was gone before he morphed into his human self. But before he dressed in the still somewhat clean clothes, he decided to take a shower. He still smelled of dog shampoo from his last bath and the manual labor he had done yesterday was not improving the smell in any way.

He opened the medicine cabinet and tore through the cupboards and drawers until he found the woman's, brother's old shampoo and body wash. It was a good thing she had kept these, but what had possessed her to do so was beyond him.

The hot water felt nice on his slightly sore muscles, but he did not have the leisure to sit back and enjoy it like he normally would have. He mimicked the woman's movements and began washing his hair as well as the rest of his toned body. "I have to hurry," he repeated to himself, "I have to hurry."

Once he was done drying off and getting dressed, he rushed out the door, locking it behind him, and slid down the rail leading down the stairs. It was noticeably cooler out this morning. The fresh air was welcoming to him as he quickly sprinted across the yard so no one would see him.

"Ulquiorra," a man's voice shouted.

Ulquiorra froze and turned his head. Mr. Taka was walking through the gate towards him. "Good morning, Mr. Taka. How are you?"

"I'm good, and you?" Mr. Taka replied.

"I am...well." Ulquiorra could not really handle small talk very well. He was more of an important conversation person; always had been.

"That's good to hear," Mr. Taka smiled. "Say you look a little cold, son. Come with me for a second." Ulquiorra followed the old man over to his apartment and stopped at the door. It was not long before he returned holding an old, dark brown, leather jacket gingerly in his hands.

"This was my son's, but you can have it. I have no use for it. There were three things that boy loved more than anything: his mother's cooking, music, and that damn motorcycle of his," Mr. Taka laughed halfheartedly at the last part. "He would spend hours practicing his guitar, playing piano, or working on that motorcycle."

Ulquiorra stared at the old man's face. "I take it he was riding his motorcycle when he was killed in that car accident."

Mr. Taka nodded sullenly. "Yeah, he had decided to give my daughter, his sister, a ride over to her friend's house one night. He took every precaution to make sure she was safe: helmet, goggles, rider's jacket, the works. But when a one ton pickup slams into you at seventy miles an hour, it doesn't matter how well protected you are. The car's gonna win.  
"Anyway, I want you to have this. It was the only thing left of Lieutenant's that was unscathed. Everything else was totaled beyond recognition; even him and his sister."

Ulquiorra gently took the jacket from Mr. Taka and slipped it on. The painful memories this coat must have caused the old man must have been excruciating. It fit him perfectly, both in size and in past horrors. What better thing for a killer to wear than a dead man's jacket?

"Well, I'll be damned," Mr. Taka chuckled. "That fits you perfectly, doesn't it?"

Ulquiorra moved his arms around. It was a little tight in the shoulders, but other than that it was a perfect fit. "It is adequate. Thank you."

"Not at all," Mr. Taka dismissed. "Say, what are you doing later tonight?"

"Nothing I can think of," Ulquiorra replied dully.

"Why don't you come over for supper tonight? It's my and my wife's anniversary today and it's been kind of empty without the kids being there to celebrate it with us," Mr. Taka explained.

Ulquiorra was not sure what to say. He knew anniversaries were an important day for couples, and that they normally liked to be alone during the occasion. "I am not sure."

"Please," Mr. Taka begged, "It would mean the world to Kaede if you would join us. She absolutely adores you. It's almost like you're a son, not just to her, but to both of us."

This caught Ulquiorra by surprise. These people had only known him for two days, but they already treated him as their son. The thought of this made his chest feel light and warm. "What time should I be there?" he sighed.

"I'd say about six-thirty, seven o'clock," Mr. Taka said excitedly.

"I will try to be there," Ulquiorra said, and bowed his head slightly while covering his left breast with his fist. "If you will excuse me, I must be going. I have something I must take care of."

"Oh, absolutely," Mr. Taka said. "I'll see you later, son."

"Good bye, sir," Ulquiorra left the compound and quickened his pace. Who knew how far the woman was? He must have been crazy to have let her leave the house alone.

Orihime had accidentally turned to soon and was now walking down a shady looking area with cracked fences, run down houses with bars over the windows, and huge dogs chained to old cars sitting on cinder blocks. How could she have gotten so lost on a route she took practically every day? She reached a new level of ditz in her book.

She passed by a group of men sitting on a stoop. They were all wearing stocking caps and had a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag. They were drunk.

"Hey, girly, you're a little far away from home, ain't 'cha?" one man wearing a padded, black vest and gray, long-sleeved shirt slurred.

Orihime kept walking. She knew better than to encourage them by playing their games. She remembered once when she was little; she and Sora had accidentally stumbled onto a neighborhood like this one. Her brother had told her not to say anything to anyone, and yet he still ended up getting in a fight with two guys who were twice his size. The only reason he hadn't been killed was because the cops had shown up.

"Hey, wait up, babe!" another man called, and the sound of running footsteps echoed through the street.

One thing flashed through Orihime's mind: run. She sprinted down the street as fast as she could. The men might have known the area better than she did, but she wasn't the slowest runner in her class. Even if they somehow trapped her in a corner, she would have a chance to overcome the obstacle. If the blockade wasn't a fifteen foot tall brick wall, that is.

She stared at the wall for a second before turning around and running the opposite way. The men were already blocking her only exit and were slowly closing in on her.

"Well, well, looky here boys," a man wearing a green, zip up sweatshirt with the sleeves ripped off, a white, long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and black, fingerless gloves said. "It looks like we found a lost kitten."

The group of drunk men laughed.

A man wearing a blue, denim jacket grabbed Orihime's elbow and pulled her so she was standing over a steam vent. The hot air blew her skirt up and she tried to push it back down with her free hand. A chorus of whistles and catcalls erupted from the rest of the men.

"Let me go!" she cried. "Please, let me go!"

"Aw, I'm sorry widdle girl," the man who was crushing her elbow mocked. "I didn't mean to hurt you." He pushed her back and she landed on her side.

"I call first dibs!" one of the man yelled and she felt something pull at her yellow vest. She pinched her eyes shut and begged for it to all be over quickly.

Strangely enough, everything was over with quicker than she expected. There was a yelp and the man pulling at her shirt stumbled backward. Orihime opened her eyes and saw a tall, black haired boy with green eyes standing in front of her; glaring at the group of men with murderous intent. "Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra turned his head so he could see the woman. She was lying on the ground. Her vest had been ripped off and the top button was missing from her shirt. These bastards had tried to have their way with her. In all retrospect he should kill them, but then he would go to jail. He would wait to do that until tonight and reduce them to ash.

He took off his jacket and covered Orihime with it. "Are you alright?"

Orihime nodded and blushed slightly. "Y-yes, I-I'm fine."

"Good," Ulquiorra was relieved to hear her say those words, "just wait here and I will take care of these pieces of trash." He stood up and faced the group of men.

"Huh? Did I hear that right?" the man who had bruised Orihime's elbow laughed. "You're going to take care of us? Dude, there's five of us and only one a you! You don't stand a chance!"

"We shall see," Ulquiorra said.

"Get him!" one of the men yelled, and they all ran towards him with raised fists, knives, or other miscellaneous weapons they found lying on the ground.

"Ulquiorra, look out!" Orihime screamed.

Ulquiorra dodged two of the men wielding knives and roundhouse kicked them to the base of the skull. Another man tried to hit him with a three foot long, metal pole and he swept his feet out from under him; ending the move by crashing his elbow into the man's ribs, breaking them instantly.

The man who had bruised Orihime's elbow rushed in twirling a chain. Ulquiorra caught the spinning metal with ease and used it to his advantage. He pulled himself up and over the man's head and wrapped the chain around his neck; kicking him hard enough at the base of the back to break it before tossing him aside like a piece of paper. There was not a doubt in his mind that the man was going to live the rest of his short life as a paraplegic.

There was one man left. He was shaking so bad his teeth were chattering in his head. "Hey, man, I'll leave. I won't tell anyone about this!" He threw his knife to the ground and tore down the ally.

"I do not think so," Ulquiorra thought. He stomped on a metal, trashcan lid, caught it, and whipped it like a Frisbee. It hit the man square in the head and he toppled over like house of cards.

Orihime gazed up at the man who saved her, not once, but twice in less then twenty-four hours. He was standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets like it was nothing. He didn't even have a scratch on him. Was he real, or was he just someone her over active imagination made up? He seemed almost too perfect.

Ulquiorra picked up Orihime's torn vest and placed in on her lap.

"Thank you-" Orihime didn't get to finish her sentence. Ulquiorra had picked her up bridal style and was carrying her out of the ally. "W-what are you doing?" she squealed.

"What does it look like? I am carrying you," Ulquiorra replied. "You have ran enough," he gazed into her eyes and she practically melted from the intensity of his stare, "I will bring you to school."

"B-but," Orihime stuttered.

"What is it?" Ulquiorra asked.

Orihime tightened her hold of Ulquiorra's shirt and blushed. "I'm too heavy for something like this."

"Ridiculous," Ulquiorra huffed, "who told you such a thing?"

Orihime looked down. "W-well, I always thought-"

Ulquiorra pressed a finger to her lips. "Do not think such insecure thoughts. You are about as heavy as that flower over there," he motioned towards a Tiger Lily growing along the riverbed, "and ten, if not a thousand times as beautiful."

Orihime blushed beet red. He had called her beautiful, and not only that, but he was carrying her with one arm. She could feel his muscles flexing under his shirt, through his jacket that she was still wearing. It wasn't a strained flex. It was more like a flex you would do when you were about to lift something that ended up being lighter than you had expected.

Ulquiorra returned his hand and continued carrying her to school. People they passed would stare and whisper to each other. There were girls who fumed in anger seeing Orihime in his arms, and men getting slapped by their girlfriends who would shout "Why don't you carry me like that?" or something that had to do with the way he was looking at her.

They finally reached the school in time to hear the first bell. Ulquiorra turned his leisurely walk into a well paced trot and was able to make it to the Orihime's classroom before she was late. He slid open the door while balancing her in his arm with ease and walked into the room.

Orihime blushed bright red almost immediately. Everyone was staring at them, and the majority of the girls in the classroom had been a part of the group standing outside the apartment complex's gate trying to catch a glimpse of Ulquiorra yesterday. Now they were glaring at her in disbelief. Even the teacher, who was in the room early, dropped her attendance book on the floor.

"Uh, Miss Inoue," Ms. Kurenai stumbled, "is...is this any way for a...a young woman to enter a c-classroom?"

"Um, well, you see," Orihime rubbed the back of her head and laughed awkwardly, "uh." She squeaked slightly as Ulquiorra returned his right hand under her knees and walked over to her seat.

Ulquiorra knelt down next to her chair and gently set her down. He stood up and bowed his head slightly, covering his left breast with his hand. "I apologize for any disruption I may have caused, Miss. Please do not take any frustration you may have out on Orihime. I just thought it would be better if I carried her after what had happened this morning." He straightened up and looked the teacher in the eye.

Ms. Kurenai blushed bright pink. "Yes," she cleared her throat, "well, I still have to kindly ask you to leave. Class is about to begin."

"Yes, Ma'am, I would expect nothing less of a respected official such as yourself." Ulquiorra turned to Orihime and took her hand, "until we meet again," he gently kissed her fingers and silently left the room.

Orihime, along with every other girl in the room, sat wide eyed with disbelief. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink color and she stared at her hand. She could still feel his lips on her fingers.

"Anyway," Ms. Kurenai continued as the second bell sounded, "now that we've all seen Orihime's hot, new boyfriend. We can get back to attendance." She picked up her list of students and continued reading down the list.

A paper airplane landed on Orihime's desk. She opened it and read it secretly under her desk:  
You never told us you had a boyfriend! -Rukia, Chizuru, and Tatsuki

Orihime turned to face her three friends. "He's not my boyfriend," she mouthed. "I just met him yesterday."

"Sure," Rukia mouthed back.

"Orihime, stop daydreaming about your boyfriend and pay attention!" Ms. Kurenai barked.

"Y-yes, Ma'am," she mentally kicked herself. Now everyone was going to think she and Ulquiorra were a couple. How was she supposed make them think he wasn't her boyfriend now?


	10. Chapter 10

"Can't one of you give me something I can use?" Mademoiselle exclaimed as the class tried-out for parts in the play.

Orihime was waiting behind the curtain. Her knees were shaking violently and she felt like she was going to be sick. She was the last one to try-out, and so far Mademoiselle had given everyone a fairly bad review.

"Alright, Orihime, show me what you got," Mademoiselle yelled.

Orihime walked out on stage and froze. She forgot the words, the songs, the lines, everything! It all suddenly vanished like a drop of water on a hot iron.

Ulquiorra was sitting on the catwalk high above the student's heads contemplating on whether or not to spit on Kurosaki's head. He had gone to the theater after leaving Orihime in her classroom and was now watching the woman choke. She missed her cue to sing three times, stumbled over her words, and stared at everyone like a doe in the headlights. He had to do something or else she would pass out under the pressure.

He flashed a signal to Tatsuki, who was sitting in the sound booth, and waited. Soon the instrumental chorus of "The Mirror" boomed through the speakers. He cleared his throat and a melodious tune exploded from his lips.

"Insolent boy, this slave of fashion. Basking in your glory. Ignorant fool, this brave young suitor. Sharing in my triumph!" His voice carried over the stage, through the isles, and even broke through the sound booth's noise barrier.

Orihime's eyes grew wide and she looked around. No one else was standing on stage with her. Where had that voice come from?

"Come on, woman," Ulquiorra thought impatiently. "Sing already. You know the words. Sing."

The woman must have heard him, because she opened her mouth and the most beautiful sound flowed from her lips. "Angel, I hear you. Speak, I listen. Stay by my side. Guide me. Angel, my soul was weak; forgive me. Enter at last, Master."

Ulquiorra smirked to himself. "Flattering child, you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide. Look at your face in the mirror," he slid down a rope attached to the catwalk and landed on the stage, "I am there inside!"

Orihime spun around and saw Ulquiorra standing behind her in the shadows of the shade. "Angel of music, guide and guardian, grant to me your glory! Angel of music, hide no longer. Come to me, strange Angel."

"I am your Angel of Music. Come to me, Angel of Music," Ulquiorra finished singing. He and Orihime stared at each other in wonder. They had never rehearsed this, but they had sang it in perfect unison.

The theater was silent. The lights didn't hum, the students didn't breathe, and the one fly that usually buzzed around the room had landed perfectly on top of Ichigo's head. The theater had turned into a graveyard.

Mademoiselle stood up and clapped wildly. "Bravo! That was absolutely magnificent! Did you all see that? That is what I have been looking for!" She ran onto the stage and pulled Ulquiorra and Orihime into the light. "I think I've found our Christine and Phantom!"

Orihime was speechless. She got the part she had been hoping for. This was a dream come true.

Ulquiorra pulled away from Mademoiselle and crammed his hands in his pockets. "I only sang because I knew Orihime was capable of singing this song. It was painful to watch her choke so easily on a song she knows so well. I do not wish to participate in this event."

"Oh, come on, Ulquiorra," Orihime begged. "You're an excellent singer! I wouldn't have been able to snap out of my daze if you hadn't cut in."

Ulquiorra huffed and turned his back on Mademoiselle and Orihime. The woman was asking him to take part in such a trivial thing. What could he possibly gain by partaking in this show?

Mademoiselle grabbed his shirt and pulled him back stage. "I need to have a word with you, Ulquiorra."

"What is it you want?" Ulquiorra asked rudely, pulling free from Mademoiselle's grasp.

"I do not understand you, Ulquiorra," Mademoiselle said aggravated. "You love Orihime, do you not? So why is it that you are passing up this opportunity to bond with her? You do know what happens in this play, correct?"

"Of course I do," Ulquiorra scoffed. "Christine chooses that weakling she calls a lover and breaks the Phantom's heart. I refuse to participate in such a thing. The woman will kiss the man who you will cast as Raoul, which I assume will be Kurosaki by the way you were writing on your casting sheet, she will be happy, and I will not be the one to ruin her joy."

"So that is why you do not want any part of this play," Mademoiselle said. "You are afraid that Orihime will be happier kissing Ichigo than she will be kissing you. You are scared that she might not have any feelings towards you."

Ulquiorra quickly turned on Mademoiselle. "I said no such thing. I just do not want to inconvenience her with my unwanted presence. She loves Kurosaki, and will be more than happy to receive a kiss from his foul lips. Having to kiss someone like me after sharing an intimate moment with the boy she truly loves, will be nothing more than a hindrance."

Mademoiselle smirked. "Say what you will, but I do not think she loves Kurosaki as much as you may think."

This perked Ulquiorra's curiosity. "Why do you say that?"

"It does not matter," Mademoiselle said lightly. "You will not be participating in our show anyway, so what good will it do you?"

Ulquiorra stared at the woman with fierce eyes. "If I involved myself in this play, you would tell me?"

"I never said that," Mademoiselle replied, but there was a playful tone in her voice that implied that he was correct. "But here is something I can tell you. I will not be allowing anyone to kiss during this play, however, that does not mean that the very best of actors could not get away with it."

This information only intensified Ulquiorra's curiosity. Kurosaki was a horrible actor, and if he tried to kiss the woman he would be disciplined. If he agreed to partake in this event, he could try and kiss the woman and know what Mademoiselle was hiding from him.

"Very well, I shall take part in this irrelevant show. Now, what is it that you are hiding from me?" He finally answered.

"I am not hiding anything," Mademoiselle said truthfully. "All you have to do is observe Orihime's actions when I announce the cast list and you will understand." She pulled back the curtain leading to the stage. "Shall we?"

Ulquiorra exhaled through his nose and followed Mademoiselle onto the brightly lit stage.

"Alright, everyone, gather around!" Mademoiselle exclaimed. "I have completed the casting list. Christine will be played by none other than Miss Orihime Inoue."

There was a small eruption of applause as Rukia, Chizuru, and Tatsuki all patted a dumbstruck Orihime on the back. She had heard it once before, but she still couldn't believe that she had gotten the part.

Mademoiselle continued down the list. "Raoul will be played by Ichigo Kurosaki, because he sucked only slightly less than the rest of you boys."

The theater exploded with laughter. This was it. Ulquiorra looked carefully at the woman and his eyes widened. She was smiling, but it was not her genuine smile. She was happy one of her friends had gotten one of the lead roles, however, if you had told her that the part of Raoul was to be played by a hamster she would have had the same expression. It did not matter to her that Kurosaki was Raoul.

"Yes, yes, we all know that Ichigo playing Raoul will be as funny as watching the principal dance the hula in his underwear, but we need to move on," Mademoiselle laughed, and looked back down at her sheet. "Finally, after a little persuasion, the final lead roll, Erik, or the Phantom as many of you know him, will be played by Ulquiorra Shiffer. How anti-climatic?"

The noise level emanating from the theater could have been heard all the way across town. Every student in the building was fighting to pat Ulquiorra on the back and congratulate him. Boys messed up his hair, and girls kissed his cheek, but there was only one person's reaction that mattered to him.

Orihime was blushing a gorgeous pink that fully covered her cheeks, her eyes were wide, and she looked as if she was about to faint. He had expected her to look like this when she found out that her beloved Kurosaki was going to play the weak fiancé. Not when he was announced as the Phantom. She should not have looked like this because of him.

The bell rang and everyone filed out of the theater except for Orihime, Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, Rukia, Tatsuki, Chizuru, and Ulquiorra. Ichigo was still being congratulated for being slightly better than the rest of the boys and obtaining the prize that was Raoul. Ulquiorra and Orihime, however, only stayed behind because they had lost all the feeling in their legs. If this was how they reacted at something as simple as a cast list, how were they going to handle the actual play?

* * *

"Oh, I have no idea what to wear!" Orihime exclaimed, and threw the fourth dress onto her bed. It was six o'clock. She had an hour before she had to be at her landlord's house for dinner, but she wanted to go to the store down the street and buy a cake for them before she went. She hadn't had enough time, or ingredients, to make one at home.

She flopped down on her bed and pulled at her hair. "Oh, this is so frustrating! Everything I pick is either to formal or not dressy enough!" She flailed her arms and legs like a four year old having a tantrum.

Ulquiorra was lying on his bean-bag chair, watching her go through every article of clothing in her wardrobe. He had seen a few things that she could have worn, but never bothered to get up and pick them out.

Orihime rolled over on her bed and stared at him with pleading eyes. "What do you think I should wear, Phantom?"

This amused Ulquiorra to say the least. The woman was requesting assistance from a dog. He smirked to himself, got up, and trotted over to the mound of clothes lying on the floor. There was a, long, white skirt lying right on top that he gently clenched between his teeth and placed it on the woman's bed. He went back to the pile and dug out a light blue tank-top and a white, button up t-shirt.

Orihime looked over the articles of clothing in amazement. This was perfect! It was dressy, but not too formal. All she had to do was find a pair of shoes that went with the outfit.

She wrapped her arms around Ulquiorra's neck. "What a good, dog! I never would have thought you would know how to pick out an outfit like that!" She released his neck and rushed into the bathroom to change.

Ulquiorra laid back down on the bean-bag chair and closed his eyes. The woman was pleased by the simplest things. It was almost funny.

Orihime appeared in the doorway moments later and twirled. "Well, what do you think?"

Ulquiorra never looked up. He just kept his eyes closed and pretended to be asleep.

"Aw, he's pouting," Orihime giggled. "He must still be mad at me for not bringing him to school. Oh well, he'll get over it sooner or later." She walked over to Ulquiorra and kissed the top of his head. "I'll be back later tonight, Phantom. Watch over the house while I'm gone."

Ulquiorra huffed in reply.

"Good boy," Orihime grabbed her purse and paused when she saw Ulquiorra's jacket hanging from her doorknob. She had never returned it to him. What harm would it do if she brought it along in case she got cold?

She locked the door on her way out. It was ten minutes after six. The store down the street closed in thirty minutes, but who knew how long it was going to take her to pick out a cake.

Ulquiorra waited until six-twenty to get up and change into his human form. Just like this morning, he opened the balcony door in his winged demon state and used his tail to grab the clothes hanging on the line, after that he quickly got dressed and left the apartment through the balcony door. He had decided to leave the sliding door unlocked so he could get back inside before the woman did.

He jumped off the balcony and gently landed on the ground. Immortality came in handy sometimes, but he could not wait to finally free himself of this curse. He jammed his hands in his pockets and walked over to Mr. and Mrs. Taka's apartment, waiting until six-thirty to knock on the door.

Mrs. Taka answered the door and a look of surprise swept over her face. "Ulquiorra, what a surprise? I knew my husband said to be here sometime between six-thirty and seven, but I didn't think that you would be so punctual and get here at six-thirty on the nose," she stepped aside, "come in."

Ulquiorra stepped into the small apartment and was instantly hit with a mixture of intoxicating aromas that sent a wave of pleasure through his body. "It smells nice."

"Why, thank you, dear," Mrs. Taka said. "I hope you're hungry. I made plenty to go around and then some."

Ulquiorra's stomach growled and he suddenly became intrigued by a small piano pushed up against the wall. "Do you or your husband play the piano by any chance?"

Mrs. Taka smiled sadly and stared at the dust covered piano. "No, but both of my kids did. Lieutenant wasn't as good as Nina, but they were both exceptionally gifted when it came to music."

"I heard your husband say that your son loved to practice his guitar," Ulquiorra said, observing the piano from every angle. He glanced at Mrs. Taka. "May I?"

Mrs. Taka's eyes widened and she pressed her hand to her cheek. "Why, I didn't know you could play!"

"I know a some from watching my little sister play." That was a flat out lie. Ulquiorra had belonged to three homes that had at least one piano player in the family. He used to watch them every day whenever they would practice and would occasionally practice himself when everyone was asleep. He had done the same thing with many other instruments.

"Oh, you have a little sister?" Mrs. Taka asked intrigued.

"I had a little sister," Ulquiorra corrected. "She was killed some time ago along with my mother and father." He showed no emotion whatsoever while explaining this. Four-hundred years of heartless behavior will do that to a person.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear," Mrs. Taka exclaimed.

Ulquiorra shrugged. "People live and people die. Only those who stay alive honor the memories of those who's lives have passed." That was the old motto his platoon of mercenaries lived by. It was cold, but so were they.

"Well, you can go right ahead and try to play the piano if you'd like, Ulquiorra," Mrs. Taka ushered. "It hasn't been touched in years though, so don't be surprised if it's a little off tune."

"I will keep that in mind." Ulquiorra sat down on the bench and gently pressed every key. Mrs. Taka had not been lying when she said it was a little off tune.

He slowly clenched his hands into fists to get the blood flowing to his fingers and placed his hands on the keyboard. He could not remember very many songs, but there was one he remembered clearly. It was from a movie released in nineteen-ninety-seven that involved the sinking of a famous ship in nineteen-twelve. Even though he had lived through that time, he could not remember the name of the vessel at all even though it made headlines on the first page of every paper.

His well trained fingers gently danced across the keys in a slow tune. You never would have guessed that the piano was severely out of tune by the way it sounded. It was slow, soft, beautiful, and seemed to make the room glow in a warm light.

Orihime walked up to the door at about a quarter to seven and stopped. There was a beautiful sound coming from behind the door. She almost thought it would have been rude to knock, but found the courage to gently tap her knuckles on the wooden surface of the door. Mrs. Taka answered eagerly.

"Orihime, I'm glade you made it," she exclaimed in a hushed tone. "Come in, but be quiet. I have a surprise for you."

"Um, okay," Orihime was pulled into the apartment so fast her head spun. Mrs. Taka gently took the cake in her hands and placed it in the kitchen before sitting the young red head down in a chair next to her so they could watch a young man play the old piano.

Orihime gasped when she realized who it was.

Ulquiorra was playing the most beautiful song she had ever heard. His skilled hands wafted gently over the keys as a slow, melodic tune radiated from the out of shape piano. He finished with a slow, yet upbeat chord and sat there in silence.

Mrs. Taka and Orihime jumped up and applauded.

"Ulquiorra, that was gorgeous!" Mrs. Taka exclaimed. "It's hard to believe that you learned by just watching someone else play!"

"Uh, thank you," Ulquiorra said slightly embarrassed. He was not used to hearing complements like that. It made his cheeks flush a very pale, almost unnoticeable, pink.

"Wow," Orihime breathed, "you can sing, you can fight, and you can play the piano! Is there anything you can't do?"

Ulquiorra's gaze quickly turned to Orihime, and he froze where he sat. He had not looked at her when she came out of the bathroom and he was starting to wonder why.

She looked amazing. The white skirt gently hugged her hips until about halfway down her thighs and slowly billowed out in a sleek manner, the blue t-shirt was tight, but not to the point where it clung to her body like latex, and had room to breathe, and her flaming red-orange hair held such a beautiful contrast with the white over-shirt, which she had left unbuttoned, that he could have sworn it was on fire. She was absolutely gorgeous.

"O-Orihime," Ulquiorra stood up so fast he fell over the bench and hit his head on the coffee table. Thank God for immortality and high-speed regeneration.

"Ulquiorra!" Orihime quickly rushed to his side. He didn't have any cuts and he wasn't bleeding, but he was in a daze. She rested his head on her lap and gently stroked his surprisingly soft, yet thick tresses. "Ulquiorra, are you alright?"

Ulquiorra blinked in confusion and sighed. "I am fine," he looked up at Orihime and smiled a genuine smile that was his and his alone, "I guess your beauty is enough to make even the most heartless mercenary act foolish."

Orihime's face exploded in fire. She was beautiful? Of course she had heard him say that before, but why is it that this time had so much of an effect on her? Could she be developing feelings for this familiar stranger? No, that's impossible. She loved Ichigo, right?

They stayed like that for a while. Orihime would gently run her fingers through Ulquiorra's hair, and he would gaze up longingly into her dazzling, gray eyes. They had completely forgotten that Mrs. Taka was standing in the room with a smile spread across her face.

"Those two definitely love each other," Mrs. Taka thought, "there's no doubt about it."

The night passed in a state of utter tranquility. Mr. and Mrs. Taka, Ulquiorra, and Orihime enjoyed a nice, family meal before Mr. Taka danced with Orihime to show Ulquiorra the proper way to ask a girl to dance. Ulquiorra had practiced this technique on Mrs. Taka and, once he built his confidence up, danced with Orihime for hours. Her arms had wrapped themselves around his neck and her head rested lazily against his shoulder as they slowly twirled in the middle of the Takas' living-room to the slow sound of an old record neither of them knew.

That night was the happiest life of Ulquiorra's life. He knew it was. But he could not help but feel that, if he ever redeemed his human life, there would be even better nights yet to come.


	11. Chapter 11

On the other side of town from where Orihime and Ulquiorra were enjoying themselves in the company of Mr. and Mrs. Taka's home, there was a disgruntled young man pacing in the dark ally behind his house talking heatedly into his cell phone.

"I don't give a shit what you say! I saw that dog alive and well just last night! Your people never got rid of him!" Ichigo screamed into his cell phone.

"Well, what am I supposed to do, carrot top?" the man on the other end of the line asked plainly. "I haven't even seen my boys since I sent them out on your request."

"I expect you to do what I paid you to do!" Ichigo yelled. "I paid you damn good money to get rid of that mutt! You better get it done or else I'm gonna come over there and kick your ass!"

The man laughed on the other end of the line. "That's a good one, carrot top! Maybe you'd be a bit more intimidating if you threatened to sick that chick's mutt on me again!"

Ichigo gritted his teeth and clutched his phone so tightly it cracked. This is what he had been putting up with for the past month. People were constantly mocking him because that damn mutt of Orihime's had beaten all of the thugs that had trespassed onto school property while he was being driven into the dirt. Saying things like: "Hey, Ichigo, do you need a puppy to take care of those big, bad bullies?" or "Ichigo, do you sleep with a little kitten at night to protect you from the monster hiding in your closet?" It was driving him insane.

"Don't mock me," Ichigo growled through clenched teeth. "Do you have any idea how humiliated I was when I went back to school after being shown up by that damn dog? People are still tormenting me! I paid you to take care of that damn mutt, so do what I paid you to do!"

"Well, what do you want us to do? My best hit-men have gone missing since you put in the request. How do you want us to get rid of the mutt?" The man chuckled slightly.

"I still can't believe you're willing to pay this much to have a dog killed. Can't you just put a bowl of anti-freeze out in his yard and wait for him to drink it? It'd be cheaper than what you're doing now, and it would be ten times more painful."

Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No, he's too smart to fall for something like that. This is the only way."

"So what do you want us to do?" the man asked, all humor had been wiped from his voice.

"I don't care how you do it," Ichigo replied dully. "Do whatever it takes to get rid of that dog." He dug his nails into his palm to the point where he drew blood. "I just want that damn mutt gone!"

There was a short silence on the other end of the line.

"Alright, carrot top," the man replied, "I know a way to get rid of the mutt, but it's gonna take some time for me to get everything ready. It's not very subtle and it'll take me a while for me to find the guys willing to do something this stupid just to kill off a dog, but I assure you that this plan works one-hundred percent of the time."

"Good, that's all I wanted to hear." Ichigo had calmed down somewhat. "How long do you think it'll take you to get everything prepared?"

"It depends," the man said. "Normally we do something like this when we try to take out mob bosses or underground drug tycoons. We've never done this just to get a dog. It's gonna take me some time to find the guys stupid enough to carry out the job, and I also need you to give me some information about where the mutt's gonna be and when. If it all goes well, I could have it all done in a month at the very least."

"Alright, I'll get you the information you'll need. I'm counting on you and your men to get the job done." Ichigo hung up the phone and chucked it against the side of the house, shattering it on impact.

If Orihime's dog had just been your average, run of the mill mutt, he wouldn't be going so far to take him out. But this wasn't just an ordinary dog, there was something about him that wasn't right. That mongrel had somehow taken out all eight of those thugs whereas he couldn't even take down one.

No. There was something odd about that mutt. Not even dogs that were trained by the police or the FBI were that good. Something was going on, and Ichigo was determined to find out what; no matter what the cost.


	12. Chapter 12

"I need you to stay in your dog form for a little while, Ulquiorra," Mademoiselle stated bluntly. "I can sense that the time you have been allotted in your human form is dwindling. Granted, I am quite surprised that it lasted this long. It has been well over a month since you were able to transform back into a human."

Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows. "Why should I revert back to that mangy mongrel?"

Mademoiselle shot the irritated man a death glare that would have killed a god. "If you want to have your true form, your monstrous self, exposed to everyone in the audience during the play, then by all means stay as a human for the next few weeks. I am curious as to what Orihime will think of you when she sees you suddenly morph into that winged beast."

A twinge of fear and despair flittered through Ulquiorra's heart. "Then I will decline my role in this ridiculous affair," he nearly hissed.

"That would be an option," Mademoiselle tapped her finger on her chin, "if Orihime was not already so keen on the idea of you partaking in this 'ridiculous affair'. Everyone is hoping to see you perform and there is no way I could get anyone to learn all the lines in such a short amount of time. You will just have to relax and do as I say for once."

Ulquiorra felt his hands ball up into fists. "Are you sure that being in my beastly form will allow me to be a human long enough to make her happy by performing?"

Mademoiselle smiled sweetly at him. "I am more than sure," she placed her hand on his shoulder, "I am one-hundred percent positive."

That was the single conversation that had coerced Ulquiorra to spend the past three weeks in his canine form as Orihime's pet all hours of the day once again, and the only reason he was able to sit so quietly in his bean bag chair-bed as he watched his woman rehearsing lines from the play with Ichigo Kurosaki. The strawberry teenager had asked for the woman's help with his lines since he had been having so much trouble with them nearly two weeks ago, and ever since then he could practically see the woman's affections swing back towards her old crush as if they were a tangible thing. The whole situation was sickening.

"Thanks a lot again, Orihime," Ichigo laughed awkwardly. "I really needed the help. I don't know why that crazy teacher decided to give me one of the lead roles. I can't act worth a damn."

Orihime smiled sweetly. "Well, she did say that she gave it to you because you were better than the other boys who tried out."

"She said I sucked slightly less than the others," Ichigo laughed with fake humor.

Ulquiorra felt his stomach squeeze in on itself as he watched the two teens exchanging pleasantries as if they had been dating for years. It made his blood boil, not so much at the fact that the moronic man in the room was coveting his woman's heart, but because he was doing it with such fake sincerity. He finally had enough and curled up with his nose tucked under his tail so he would not have to see the disgusting play develop before his eyes.

Ichigo finally stopped laughing and leaned his back against Orihime's bed, propping his elbows on top of her mattress as he did so. "But I am surprised; I thought you would be practicing with that weirdo…what's his name? Ulquiorra. Actually, I haven't seen him at school for a while. Where did he go?"

"He said he was going to visit some relatives back in Spain," Orihime replied. A warm smile had spread across her features at the mention of Ulquiorra's name. "He said he would be back in time for the play."

"You sure he'll be around in time for the play? He hasn't been to practice in at least three weeks," Ichigo explained. "How do you know he didn't just skip town?"

"Oh, don't you worry about Ulquiorra," Orihime stated boldly. "He'll be there for sure. He promised me that he would perform with us, and he's not the kind of guy who would go back on anything he says. That much is for sure. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he came knocking on my door any minute now."

Ulquiorra's nose twitched slightly as his mind wandered through a field of dreams. If he had not fallen asleep when he had, he would have heard and seen the complete honesty in Orihime's words as love danced in her eyes.

Just then the doorbell rang, causing everyone in the room's heads to snap towards the bedroom door. That is, everyone's except for Ulquiorra's.

"You see?" Orihime exclaimed happily. "I told you he would show up at any minute." She quickly jumped to her feet and rushed out of the room.

As soon as Orihime was out of earshot, Ichigo stood up and sauntered over to Ulquiorra, who had just woken up at the scent of his woman's scent whizzing past his nose.

"You know," the teen stuffed his hands into his pockets, "there are two individuals I absolutely hate in this world. You," he pressed his big toe on the top of Ulquiorra's muzzle, "and that fucker, Ulquiorra. You both just piss me off so god damn much. You stare at me with those same, dead eyes as if I was nothing but a piece of trash at your feet."

Ulquiorra jerked his muzzle out from under Ichigo's foul scented foot and growled slightly. This boy was going to be losing something very dear to him once he left the apartment.

Ichigo smirked. "But that's all about to be over. Do you know why?" He chuckled slightly and knelt down as if he was going to whisper something in the dog's ear; "Because I've made quite a few deals with some powerful people to get you and that asshole taken care of for good." He stood up and spat on Ulquiorra's ink black coat. "I'm surprised that you haven't been killed yet. I thought those two guys that were sent would have taken care of you already."

A menacing growl ripped through Ulquiorra's throat. "You mean you are the one who sent those goons to kill me? How dare you put Orihime's life in danger like that? Who knows what they would have done to her if I had not been there!"

"Now, now, you flea-bitten mutt," Ichigo kicked Ulquiorra square on the nose, causing it to bleed. "You shouldn't growl at your master's friend. It's not polite." He laughed slightly. "Oh, and let's try to keep that little hit on you and Ulquiorra a secret between us, hm?" He kicked Ulquiorra in the nose again and howled with laughter. "It's a good thing dogs can't talk."

Orihime opened the door and nearly squealed in excitement. "Ulquiorra, you're ba-…"

Her smile suddenly disappeared as she stared at the person standing in front of her in confusion. Instead of seeing a tall, lean, dark haired man standing with his hands stuffed in his pockets with a shadow of a smile hiding behind his lips, there was a somewhat attractive girl with bright, fire engine red hair tied up in pigtails, wearing a fluffy Eskimo coat with fur around the hood, and smacking her lips on a piece of gum standing in front of her. Who was this person?  
"Hello?" Orihime stuttered awkwardly.

The girl had obviously not heard the door open due to the large headphones placed tightly over her ears, but it was questioned if the amount of make-up on the girl's eyes had also caused her to not see the door open as well. She just looked at her music player with an uninterested look glazed over her eyes.

Orihime cleared her throat and spoke a little louder. "Excuse me?"

The girl popped a bubble with her gum and suddenly realized that there was someone standing on the landing with her. She turned to Orihime and swallowed her gum before shouting; "Hey! Is Ichigo Kurosaki here? I checked at his house but he wasn't there! His dad said I could find him here!"

Orihime winced at the noise pummeling her eardrums. The girl would be considered pretty in most boys' eyes, but not to anyone she yelled at within such short range. It was physically damaging her internal ear.

"What do you need to see Ichigo for?" Orihime asked kindly as her inner self tried to nurse her injured ears.

"What?" The girl shouted again. "Oh! Hold on a second!" She took off her headphones and turned off the music device in her hand before turning her attention back to Orihime and repeated in a slightly sweeter voice, now that she was not shouting for the whole complex to hear. "What did you say?"

Orihime blinked in confusion but quickly shook it off. "Yes, Ichigo is here. Can I ask why you are looking for him?"

The new girl stuffed her hands in her coat pockets as a severely irritated look plagued her features. "That son-of-a-bitch and I had a date tonight, but when he didn't show up I went to his house to see where he was. If I had known he was deciding to cheat on me with another girl, I would have taken that guy's offer back at the restaurant to hang out with him tonight. Could you tell that jerk to get out here?"

Orihime's eyes rivaled the size of dinner plates. This girl was dating Ichigo? What did he see in her? Sure, she was thin and pretty, but her manners and courtesy were absolutely horrible. No decent man would ever date a girl with a personality like this harpy's.

"Um…sure, just give me one moment and I'll get him," Orihime said in a blank tone. Her mind and emotions were somewhere far off in the distance as she unconsciously walked back to her room and passed by Ulquiorra and his bleeding nose to her friend sitting haughtily on her bed. "There's a girl waiting at the door for you."

Ichigo suddenly jumped from the bed and slapped his forehead. "Shoot! I completely forgot about our date! Thanks a lot, Orihime!" He grabbed his coat and rushed out the door. "I hope she isn't too mad at me. I can say goodbye to my manhood if she is."

The silence filling the room after Ichigo left could shatter glass. Orihime just sat on her bed in a daze as the last five minutes replayed in her head like a broken record. Her friend, and longtime crush, was dating some skank who obviously could have cared less if he had just jumped off of an overpass into heavy traffic.

She should have felt angry, betrayed, heartbroken, but she didn't. She felt unwanted. Ichigo had completely blown her off as soon as he had heard that his "date" was looking for him. It did not help with the fact that Ulquiorra had not even called her once since he left for his trip to Spain. Could she be that unattractive to men?

Ulquiorra shook his head as a slight tingling sensation caused by his high speed regeneration spread across his broken nose and muzzle and looked at Orihime. She was staring off into the distance with tears in her eyes, and her face was pale and her eyes were starting to turn red as the salty tears spilled over her eye lids. A fierce growl erupted in his throat. That trash of a boy was going to pay for hurting her like this.

Orihime snapped out of her daze at the sound of Ulquiorra's fading growl and turned her attention to the canine sitting in the bean bag chair, surrounded by a bloody blanket. Her eyes instantly widened and her tears ceased.

"Phantom, oh my gosh! You're hurt!" She immediately rushed into the bathroom and grabbed a wet washcloth before running back into the room to help wipe away the dried blood from Ulquiorra's nose.

"I'm so sorry," she sniveled. "How could I have not noticed the blood coating your muzzle? How did that happen?"

Ulquiorra felt his heart twist. His woman was not acting anything like her usual, happy self, and it was all because of that Kurosaki boy. He did not know what that piece of dirt did to cause such a wonderful woman to turn into this feeble, defenseless girl stammering and babbling through tears in front of him, but he was going to pay.

With incredible speed and agility, the old mercenary was on his paws and at the front door of the small apartment. He heaved his front feet up onto the wall as he grasped the doorknob gently between his jaws. By the time Orihime even came out into the living room to see him, he was out the door and tracking the scent of the orange haired bastard who had destroyed his woman's heart.

"Phantom!" Orihime ran out the door and stopped at the railing; gazing down into the pitch black night and dark grounds below, but she could no longer see him. With a heavy heart, she dragged her feet back to her room, closing the front door behind her, and collapsed onto her bed. The tears were falling in steady streams from her eyes as she held her pillow tight against her chest.

First, Ichigo had left her, one of his closest friends, to go be with some whore who could have cared less about him when she had once held onto his every word because she thought she actually loved him. Now even her dog didn't want anything to do with her. She really must have been that undesirable to men if her own dog did not want to be around her.

She held the pillow tighter as her stomach rolled around in her stomach. "Ulquiorra, where are you? I wish you were here. I always feel so much better when you're around."

Ulquiorra crept through the bushes as he monitored Ichigo and his floozy girlfriend. The sight was so disgraceful that he had more than once found it difficult to keep the contents of his stomach down. The orange haired teen would go out of his way to impress the ditsy female who obviously only wanted him physically: offering her his coat, flexing his muscles whenever she held onto his arm, threatening to knock out one specific individual who had made a comment about how the girl should ditch the boy and hang out with a real man. It was almost unbearable to watch.

Finally, he had seen just about enough. The blood was singing through Ulquiorra's ears like a white hot iron being scrapped against a block of ice. This piece of trash was willing to treat a girl who did not want anything else than to screw and leave with all the respect and kindness in the world, but failed to treat the one woman who truly cared for him with the slightest bit of interest. Such behavior was unacceptable.

A low growl rose from deep in his throat and he was about to jump on the strawberry teen when something suddenly caused his whole body to freeze. Orihime's sobbing voice suddenly drifted through his mind like a phantom maiden luring him back to the woman's apartment. There was no way he was going to allow her heart to undergo such despair because of a sorry excuse of a boy.

He glanced back at the idiotic male as he jumped through hoops in order to attain the little slut's affection and sprinted back towards the place he called home. Little did he know that the girl that was hanging on Ichigo's arm had seen his ink black fur dash through the bushes and caused her to shriek in terror; earning a threatening glare from the strawberry teen as he caught a glimpse of the canine form as it ran. That had been the final factor that caused the teen to believe that "Phantom" was definitely more than just some run of the mill stray.

***

Ulquiorra made it back to the apartment and immediately ran to the back yard where the woman's balcony was located. He transformed into his winged form and hid himself in the tree overhanging the small ledge and underwent the metamorphosis into a human.

"I don't care if I'm risking being found out at the play," he grunted as he put on the clothes he had received from Mr. and Mrs. Taka as a gift. "I cannot and will not allow Orihime to be heartbroken because of a fool like Kurosaki. I do not know exactly what I can do, but I have to do something for her before my rage causes me to kill that sorry excuse of a human being and cause her heart more sorrow." He leapt onto the small platform and tapped on the glass sliding door that led to the laundry room.

Orihime's tears had finally subsided to the occasional drop of salt water and was about pass out from the exhaustion her emotions had caused when she heard a light tapping coming from somewhere in her house. She immediately shot from her bed and grabbed the dust covered bat that was lying in wait underneath her bed. She had never needed to use it for protection especially since she felt so safe when Phantom was around, but since her dog was now gone she had to take care of things herself.

She slowly crept through the house, making sure to keep to the shadow covered walls, with her bat at the ready. "Who's there?"

No answer.

"If you don't answer me within the next ten seconds, I swear I-I'll hit you so hard over the head you'll see stars for a week." She cursed herself for fumbling in her threat so easily. Deep within her being, she felt like she could actually cause someone such harm. Her emotions had sent her over the edge and had made the decision that she had no time for such stupid things as a burglar.

The tapping continued and she followed it like a mouse trying to find its way through a maze to find the cheese at the end. Only she was a scared little mouse as she made her way through a dark maze to find something more dangerous than a piece of cheese. It felt more like she was trekking through the twists and turns of corridors only to find a hungry cat at the end.

She slowly tiptoed to the laundry room where the tapping was getting louder and more defined. Whoever had broken into her house was there. She could tell. A bead of sweat rolled down her face as she pressed herself against the wall next to the doorway and pinched her eyes shut.

"It's alright, Orihime. You can do this. Just jump in and demand to an explanation for why someone would break in. Don't give them a second to fight back. If they make a movement, hit them with the bat." She tightened her grip on the handle and took a deep breath. "One…two…three!"

She jumped into the doorway and froze. Fresh tears filled her eyes as the bat fell from her limp hands to the floor. There, in the bright light of the full moon just outside, was Ulquiorra. There was a soft, sad look in his eyes and a shadow of a smile hiding behind his cold mask.

The next thing either of them knew, Orihime had sprinted out the door and was embracing Ulquiorra tightly around the neck as though he would disappear at any moment. Tears of joy were streaming down her face as she clung to his black shirt with all the strength her hands could muster. Even her body was shaking from the intense emotions she was feeling.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened slightly as the woman flew into him and held him close. It did not take long for him to slowly wrap his arms around her fragile frame and hold her just as tight as she held him.

He did not know what to say, nor did he want to say anything. This woman, the woman he cared so deeply for, had gone through so much heartache in the past hour and he had no idea why. All he knew was that he wanted to make her feel better, so she would smile and laugh again.

It was quite some time before Orihime finally loosened her hold around Ulquiorra's neck and looked him in the eye with a smile on her face and the remnants of tears in her eyes. "You're back."

Ulquiorra felt his heart twist at the starry light in Orihime's eyes. She was truly happy to see him. It was almost as if Ichigo had never hurt her, as if he had never ran out the door in his canine form and caused her to think she was unwanted. Her smile had caused something to waken deep inside of him and was threatening to devour him body and soul.  
"I told you I would be, did I not?" He replied as his fingers seemed to find his woman's cheek on their own accord.

Orihime shuddered at the slight touch of Ulquiorra's fingers on her skin. The small sensation immediately shot through her body, fixing itself deep in the recesses of her abdomen where a warm pool seemed to suddenly appear. This feeling was something completely new. She had never felt this way towards the man she could no longer remember the name of, but she welcomed the feeling with open arms as she was embraced by this new man she had developed feelings for.

Before she even had time to think about what she was doing, she had pressed her lips gently to the dark haired man's lips in a chaste kiss that seemed to turn the warm pool in her stomach into a raging sea of fire. His lips were soft yet rough and his hands were holding her tightly around the small of her back as her fingers gripped more and more fabric on the back of his shirt. She could have sworn that she was turning into molten putty in his hands.

Unfortunately, as soon as the kiss had started, it stopped. Ulquiorra could feel his own body reacting to the innocent kiss in such a way that he had often called vulgar whenever his fellow mercenaries would talk about it. He had to stop this before he acted upon basic instincts and took what this woman cherished most from her.

"I am sorry," Ulquiorra panted slightly as he gently pushed Orihime arm's length away, "but I must go. I cannot stay here. I am afraid that if I do things will become complicated, and I do not want you to regret anything that is done here in the morning. I care for you far too much to throw you into such turmoil."

Orihime watched in fear as Ulquiorra turned around and started walking towards the railing of the balcony. She did not want to be alone. She finally couldn't stand the bitter loneliness of being in an empty apartment anymore. She wanted to be with someone just for a little while; she wanted to be with him.

"Ulquiorra," she exclaimed as she threw her shaking arms around his torso from behind and buried her face between his shoulder blades, "please, don't leave me! I-I don't want to be alone anymore! I couldn't bear it! Please, just stay a little longer!"

Ulquiorra froze. She was begging him to stay. What did she mean by being alone? He had been with her every day as a dog. She could not possibly mean what he thought she meant could she? No, that was ridiculous.

He turned around slowly and immediately felt his back slam against the wall as Orihime stared at him with pleading eyes. There was pain, fear, loneliness, love, and lust swirling deep within her brilliant, grey irises. He could not tell how many of those emotions were being confused for something else, but that did not matter anymore, she had won. The ex-mercenary felt his final wall crumble as he took his princess's face in his hands and kissed her with all the love and passion his stone cold heart could muster.

Orihime felt her body explode in a fireball of warmth as Ulquiorra's tongue gently licked her lip and she timidly allowed him entrance to explore her eager mouth. She could feel his hands holding her tightly as the messaged small circles into her back, sometimes even hitting spots that would cause a weak moan to escape her captured lips. His body was pressed firmly against hers and she could feel every contour of his muscles beneath her body. This was absolute Heaven and complete Hell at the same time.

Ulquiorra's finger slowly slipped under the hem of Orihime's shirt and gently traced a line along the soft skin that hid underneath, causing the girl to moan even louder into his mouth. The sound was like a chorus of angels singing in his ears and his body yearned to hear more.

After what felt like an eternity of bliss, the two broke apart for much needed air. Their eyes locked in on each other as though they would disappear if they looked away, and their bodies burning hotter than any fire man could create.

The break was short lived as Orihime initiated the second and third kisses as she slowly led the black haired, green eyed man into her room without him even noticing. Once he was there, she pressed her weight into his chest and toppled him onto her bed.

Ulquiorra suddenly felt the soft mattress beneath him and his mercenary instincts kicked in. He quickly flipped himself over so that he was hovering over the fiery haired woman who had broken every wall he had ever built, who had caused him to feel love for the very first time in his life, and had caused him to feel alive in a way he never knew possible.

He stared down at the woman beneath him and allowed his eyes to drink in the sight of her blushing face, her red-orange hair as it set fire to the pillows and sheets beneath them, and the desire swirling in her eyes. She was the most beautiful thing in the world to him, and he wanted to make sure that she never cried again. He would protect her with everything he had because…he loved her.

Orihime felt her face explode in a whirlpool of fire as she stared shyly at the man hovering above her. His eyes held a mysterious emotion that she had never seen before and caused the pool in her stomach to grow even hotter with anticipation. She could feel his hands gently running over the skin on her stomach and ribs, stopping just short of the mounds of sensitive flesh on her chest. The teasing was almost too much for her to bear.

She placed her hand on the back of Ulquiorra's neck and kissed him roughly; her hands slipping beneath his shirt and dragging her nails over his skin, causing him to shutter. She could feel his control slipping as her advances caused him to be less and less cautious about placing a hand on her breast. So by the time she had started sucking and nipping at his neck, he had managed to remove her shirt and bra and was gently rubbing the soft flesh beneath.

It did not take long before the two were completely bare beneath the comforter on the bed. Orihime's blush had intensified to a new shade of red as she had caught a glimpse of Ulquiorra and was immediately intimidated by the presence of him.

Ulquiorra gently kissed the nervous girl on the forehead and whispered in her ear. "Do not worry. I will not take your innocence tonight. However," Orihime gasped as she felt his fingers gently slide between the folds of her womanhood. It was almost as if there was an electrical current shooting through her body at a hundred a minute.

"If you wish, I can make you feel like the beautiful woman you are," Ulquiorra finished as he gently laid a trail of kisses down Orihime's neck to her breast where he licked and nipped gently at the hardened bud.

Orihime's blush intensified. He thought she was beautiful? Another lick and a circling thumb rubbing her most treasured area caused her eyes to pinch shut as a moan escaped her mouth, and another wave of electricity ripped through her body. "Y-Yes, p-please," she panted shyly as her mind became clouded by a thick haze.

Ulquiorra smirked against his woman's skin but suddenly felt something rub against his manhood, causing him to cough slightly in surprise as a wave of pleasure swept through him. When he opened his eyes, he saw Orihime smiling at him seductively as he felt her hand brush against him a second time.

"But I would like to make you feel as good as you make me feel," Orihime admitted, turning her eyes away from the man above her.

That was all that was said as the sounds of soft moans and heavy pants filled the room. It was a surprise for both of them that they were doing such a thing, but neither of them cared. The only thing they knew was that they were in the company of the one they deeply cared for, and that was enough for them.


	13. Chapter 13

A dark shadow slipped through the young red head's apartment and stood outside the young woman's bedroom. It watched as she gave herself willingly to the tall, muscular, dark haired man hovering just millimeters above her, if not lying on top of her. They both had a hand and the lower half of their bodies submerged under the hot pink comforter and were glistening with sweat.

"U...Ul...qui..orra," the girl panted, then screamed in ecstasy; digging the nails of her free hand into the toned flesh of his back. "ULQUIORRA!"

The man above her tensed and cried out shortly after, "Orihime!" He fell on top of the girl, gasping for breath as he kissed her lovingly. She returned the kiss and pulled his head down until his cheek was resting on her breast.

How many times had they indulged in each other like this already this night? When they had begun it had just gotten dark, now the eastern sky was beginning to turn a dark gray with the coming of the sun.

The shadow slipped back through the open, sliding glass door and climbed down the tree without a sound. No one had known he was there or had seen him enter the apartment, and no one would ever know. Especially not the bastard sleeping with the woman inside.

He jumped over the high fence and quickly jogged to the idling car down the street. Once inside he put the vehicle in drive and tore down the road at eighty miles per hour.

"So," the girl with neon red hair and white Eskimo coat said, "what's the damage? They fucked didn't they?"

The boy didn't answer.

"I knew it!" the girl exclaimed. "You could hear that little bitch screaming from way over here!"

The boy turned down a gravel road that led to the middle of an old, rundown factory on the outskirts of town. It might have been getting light out, but there were still three hours before the first bell. He had plenty of time.

* * *

Orihime's eyes slowly fluttered open as the sun filled her room. She could hear the birds chirping joyfully outside her window as her alarm declared that it was time to wake up. There was a heavy, yet pleasant scent filling her head as she reached behind her to turn off the irritating buzzing, and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

There was a slight shift beneath her hand and her eyes snapped open. Ulquiorra was sleeping soundly next to her, naked from what she could see, and she was using his stomach as a support to sit herself up in an upright position. She screamed slightly and jumped back, covering her body with the comforter while the bed sheet stayed on the boy lying in her bed. How that hadn't woken him up was beyond her.

Orihime blushed even deeper as last night's events relayed in her head like a movie. She smiled shyly. Had she honestly been so bold, so desperate to not be alone, that she had willingly slept with a boy she had only met a month and a half ago? Even if he had kept his promise and never actually took her 'innocence', it was hard for her to believe that she had done such a thing.

Despite her disbelief, she did not regret a single thing that had happened between them last night. He had stayed when she begged him not to leave, he had devoured her in both body and soul while allowing her to keep her most valuable treasure, and had given her a vow of love that was never spoken. She watched him shift slightly in his sleep and kissed his cheek. "Good morning, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra opened his eyes easily at the sound of his woman's voice and could not help but smile at her. "Good morning." He sat up and gently reached behind him to massage his slightly sore back. His fingers touched at least five spots that stung at the slightest touch. "How are you feeling?"

Orihime pressed the hot pink comforter closer to her body. "I'm good. How are you?"

"Just one moment," Ulquiorra said and gently kissed her lips, "I am excellent."

The blush coloring Orihime's cheeks slowly intensified under Ulquiorra's stare. She almost wanted too- "Oh my god, is it that late already?" she exclaimed and bolted to the bathroom. "Oh, I have to shower quick! If Chizuru can really smell a guy's scent, I'm so dead!"

Ulquiorra stared blankly at the bathroom door. The woman was acting strangely this morning. Normally that would not bother him, but this was even stranger than usual.

He quietly got out of bed and found his clothes scattered in all parts of the room. His jeans were lying on the windowsill, half in and half out of the room, his boxers had somehow hung themselves on the bedpost at the head of the bed, his left shoe was sitting in the bean-bag chair while his right was in the opposite corner of the room, and he could not find his shirt anywhere. He searched the rest of the apartment and still could not seem to secure its whereabouts.

"Strange," he quickly slipped on his jeans, he had put his boxers on before searching the facility for his shirt, and froze; lying next to the bed, in front of the nightstand, was a small, gold ring. He picked it up gingerly between his shaking fingers and stared at it in disbelief. The lustrous gold and sparkling gem forged inside the glittering band seemed to be winking at him in joy.

He knew this ring. The small, yet impressive, diamond cast hundreds of rainbows upon his face from the sunlight shinning through the slightly opened window, the gold seemed to glow in the warm sunlight, and there, inscribed on the inside of the band, was a name he knew all too well: Victoria Shiffer. Tears formed in the mercenaries eyes as he clutched the small ring in his hand and brought his fist to his lips, "Mother."

This was his mother's ring. His father had requested a very well-known goldsmith to forge it the day he proposed to her. How had it gotten into Orihime's room? In fact, how could it still be here, intact, and shining as if it were new? Unless...

"Mademoiselle," Ulquiorra breathed. He suddenly remembered her pulling on his pant's belt loop, complaining that he needed to fasten them more securely, when she had summoned him to the theater four days ago. She must have slipped the ring into his pocket then, but how had she attained it? It should have been buried along with his dead mother.

There was a knock on the door.

Ulquiorra froze. "Should I answer it?" he thought. "What if it is one of the woman's friends or Kurosaki?" A sudden wave of anger swept through his body. Never mind, he hoped that it was Ichigo; he almost prayed that it was. After what he heard last night, the orange haired trash needed to be taught a very excruciating lesson.

He slipped his mother's ring into his pocket and rushed to the door. If it was one of the woman's friends, he would say that he came over to make sure she was awake and had accidentally spilled some of the woman's cooking on his shirt. If it was Kurosaki, he would beat him to the point beyond recognition. He opened the door and all his previous thoughts were immediately excluded from his mind. But, what was he supposed to do if it was Mrs. Taka tapping gently at the door?

"M-Mrs. Taka," Ulquiorra stared at the frail, old woman with a translucent blush coloring his cheek, "what brings you here this early in the morning?"

Mrs. Taka slowly smiled and held her hands up. "Oh, it's nothing important, dear. There was a complain this morning about some screaming coming from this room last night and I came to see what was wrong," she looked Ulquiorra up and down, "but seeing as to how you're here. I think I know what happened."

Ulquiorra's face flushed a pale pink and he looked away. "I did not know we were that loud."

"Of course not, dear," Mrs. Taka laughed, "that's the beauty of it!" Her laughter stopped abruptly and her expression turned deadly. "You do plan on marrying her, right?"

Ulquiorra took a slight step back from Mrs. Taka's intense glare, "Marriage?" He looked down and turned the ring sitting safely in his pocket. Of course, he loved the woman, but he had never thought about matrimony. He even wondered if she would accept his proposal even if he asked.

"Yes, Marriage," Mrs. Taka repeated as if it were the only thing in the world, "you do plan on proposing to her, right? I don't mind if you two sleep in the same bed together, but what's right is right."

"What's right, is right," Ulquiorra mimicked, and pulled out his mother's ring. He stared at it with a look of sorrow and worry. "But...do you think she would say yes?"

Mrs. Taka's eyes widened slightly in shock. "Are you saying that the only reason you haven't asked Orihime to marry you is because you feel insecure about whether or not she'll say yes? That doesn't sound like you at all, Ulquiorra?"

"No, I suppose it doesn't," he returned the ring to the confines of his pocket, "but she deserves someone so much better. Someone who is worthy of a princess. The only princess I have ever known until now was my younger sister, and I was not even worthy of calling myself her elder brother."

"Ulquiorra," Mrs. Taka said sternly and held his face in her hands, "you listen to me. That girl in there couldn't possibly do any better than you. You're so considerate, loving, and willing to sacrifice yourself for her in a moments notice. I've seen the way she looks at you, and you look at her in return. It's love. Now you look me in the eye and tell me that you don't think she won't tackle you to the ground with kisses if you ask her to marry you."

Ulquiorra looked the elderly woman in the dead center of her eyes and realized that he could not bring himself to say it. He had lied to hundreds of people to their face in the past, but this woman had something they did not. There was something burning deep within her iris' that kept him from saying it.

"I cannot," he admitted.

Mrs. Taka released his face and nodded happily. "Now, get your firm butt in there and propose to the woman you love!"

"I cannot," Ulquiorra repeated dully.

"Oh," Mrs. Taka raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips, "and why is that? You do love her, right?"

"More than life itself," Ulquiorra smiled, "but she is only a junior in high school. I will wait until next year, when she is a senior, to propose." He looked at Mrs. Taka's skeptical expression. "I promise, not only on my mother's grave, but on my father and sister's graves as well. I promise myself, Orihime, and you that I will ask for her hand in marriage once the summer is over and she is in her final year of school."

This time he was able to look the old woman in the eye. It was as easy as breathing and he took pride in that. He would ask the woman to marry him. When the time was right, he would propose.

Tears welled in Mrs. Taka's eyes and she wrapped her arms around Ulquiorra's neck. "Oh, I'm so happy for you, dear!" She squeezed tighter. "You and Orihime will make a fine couple!"

Ulquiorra gently patted Mrs. Taka's back while trying to free himself from her vice-grip hold on his neck. He could hardly breathe and he could feel his face turning blue. It would be difficult for him to keep his promise if she choked him to death.

Mrs. Taka suddenly released Ulquiorra's neck and air rushed into his lungs. "Oh, I better be going. I have to tell my husband the news!" She turned on her heel and was gone before she had finished talking. For an older woman, she could move quickly.

Ulquiorra scanned the landing before returning to the sanctity of the apartment. That was odd, but he did not have time to be thinking about the old woman's strange mood swings. He had to find his shirt and, he pulled his mother's ring out of his pocket, perhaps mark what was his.

Orihime finished showering in ten minutes and was now trying to get dressed without tearing anything or loosing her balance and falling over. She pulled her sweater over her head and stopped. Something didn't feel right; the sleeves were too long, the fabric was too heavy, the torso made her bust disappear almost completely, and it was black. She was wearing Ulquiorra's shirt!

Her face exploded in fire and she quickly switched shirts. The only reason she showered this morning was to get the scent of male off of her. Now it was all over her body again. Chizuru was going to have a fit!

Orihime opened the bathroom door to find Ulquiorra searching the room with his back to her. She blushed a new shade of crimson and pressed her hand to her mouth. There were various shades of pink and red scratch marks all along his back, and not just five or ten, but more than she could count. Red ones ran on into pink, thin mixed with thick, long combined with short, his whole back looked like a map.

"Um, U-Ulquiorra," she finally squeaked.

Ulquiorra turned around and stared at her with slight confusion. "Have you seen my shirt?"

She held out the black sweater. "Here it is. It somehow ended up in the bathroom."

"Thank you," Ulquiorra took the shirt and slipped it on. He noticed the slightly worried, yet guilty look on her face. "Is something wrong?"

Orihime snapped out of her daze and waved her hands frantically. "No! Nope, nothing's wrong! I'm just a little worried about the play tonight! That's all!"

Ulquiorra gently took her flailing hands and kissed them. "You do not need to worry yourself, Orihime. You are an excellent actress and singer. I do not have a doubt in my mind that you will be amazing tonight," he stared deep into her eyes and pulled the ring out of his pocket, "however, if you still have doubts, then take this," he slipped the ring easily on her ring finger.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime gasped and stared in awe at the beautiful, diamond ring he had just placed on her hand, "what is this?"

"It was my mother's." Ulquiorra gently held her hands in his. "I care deeply about you, Orihime Inoue. This ring is the only thing I have left of my mother. It granted her good fortune most of her life and," he gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, "I hope that it will also bless you with good luck, and symbolize my feelings towards you."

Orihime suddenly couldn't breathe. He had just given her his mother's ring. Was this his strange way of proposing? No, it couldn't be. They were too young to get married, but that didn't mean that she hadn't thought about such a commitment last night. In fact, the thought of him asking for her hand in holy matrimony sent her heart alight, but could he really love her that much?

"Um, w-we better get to s-school," she stuttered and walked to the door with Ulquiorra's arm wrapped snugly round her waist. This was how everything was supposed to be. She didn't regret anything, so why did she have this strange feeling in the pit of her stomach?

* * *

A car pulled up to the old, run-down factory and a man stepped out. He had slicked back, black hair that looked greasier than a vat of bacon grease, a pair of black sunglasses, a slight goatee, was wearing black leather pants, coat, and shoes, had a toothpick sticking out of his mouth, and a tattoo of a pair of dice on his neck: snake eyes.

"It's about time you showed up," the shadow said, standing up. "I still have school this morning!"

"Relax, carrot top," the man said, digging inside his coat, "I got here didn't I?

The shadow stepped into the light. He had orange hair, furious, brown eyes, was wearing a school uniform, and had a blazing red haired girl wearing a white, Eskimo coat hugging his side.

"I don't care," Ichigo said. "I called you over two hours ago. Where the hell were you?"

The man ran his hand over his slick hair and sighed. "I had other clients and...business...to take care of. Why have you called me here? I told you when you called to only meet with me face to face if it was an emergency."

"This is an emergency," Ichigo growled. "I have someone else I need you to take care of."

"Oh," the man in the leather jacket asked only half interested, "is that so?"

Ichigo reached into the trunk of the car and pulled out a duffel-bag full of money. "Here," he threw it at the sleazy man, "here's all of the money in full. This should show you how determined I am to get rid of this guy."

The man opened the bag and a yellow grin spread across his lips. "Oh, now I gotcha," he put the bag in his car, "so who's the guy and why do you want him gone? It's not normal for us to be paid up front, in full, like this. You must really have a problem with him?"

"I caught the bastard sleeping with a friend of mine early this morning, just before I called you," Ichigo informed. "I wanted to check Orihime's house on a hunch that her dog might've tried to attack me last night, and when I got there the sliding door leading to the laundry-room was wide open-"

"So you crept into your friend, Orihime was it? You slipped into her house and spied on her while she had sex with the man you want us to add to the list?" the man stated correctly. "What I don't understand is why you didn't get rid of them both while you were there; the mutt must've been there and if you want to kill your friend's lover you could've gotten rid of both of them in one night."

"No," Ichigo stated bluntly "The dog was nowhere to be found, or else I wouldn't have been able to sneak in so easily, and if I had offed the bastard she was sleeping with I would have given myself away. Orihime could have called the cops and had me arrested."

The man discarded his toothpick and replaced it with a cigarette. "So you want us to kill this man as well," he lit the end and took a deep breath, "do you have any information on the guy; where and when I can find him and what he looks like?"

"He's going to be performing at the play my school's putting on tonight. If you go there you'll see him. He's playing as the Phantom, and he's always with Orihime, Orihime Inoue," Ichigo informed.

"Alright," the man nodded, "and this is the same bastard who slept with...Miss Inoue, right?"

Ichigo nodded stiffly. "Right."

The man blew a thin line of smoke into the air, "and the man's name is?"

Ichigo's stare went from furious to bloodthirsty. "His name is Ulquiorra Shiffer."


	14. Chapter 14

Karakura High School was like a grand palace come sun down. Every light in the building was on, people, parents, students, and teachers alike, were dressed up and hurriedly rushing into the school, there was a group of students dressed in black slacks, white shirts, and black vests escorting them to the theater so they could be seated for the play, and there, illuminated by an underground light next to the entrance, was a huge portrait painted of Ulquiorra wearing the Phantom's mask and suit, Orihime dressed elegantly in Christine's gown, and Ichigo looking slightly annoyed in Raoul's best clothes with "The Phantom of the Opera" painted beautifully across the top. This was bound to be a wonderful night that no one would ever forget.

Inside the theater, the seats were completely full. Parents, relatives, and friends of the young actors and actresses were communing amongst themselves eagerly; beaming as they told their co-workers, rivals, or friends which part their child was playing with pride. It was a full house, every actor's greatest dream and worst nightmare, and the young red-orange haired maiden cowering in fear behind the curtain wearing an elaborate dress was feeling the experience of stage fright down to the fibers of her gown.

Orihime placed a hand on her stomach and covered her mouth. She felt an irresistible urge to throw up. The whole theater was filled with excited parents and friends from other schools. How was she supposed to perform in front of a room packed with eager people when she could barely audition without Ulquiorra's help?

"Hey, are you alright, Orihime?" Rukia asked, dressed in a beautiful, white gown. She had obtained the part of Meg Giry while a senior girl had gotten the role of Madame Giry, head of the chorus line and Meg's mother.

"I-I'm just a little nervous," Orihime replied shakily. "I'll be alright."

Rukia scanned over her friend skeptically. She was paler than the glowing white dress she was wearing, was shaking greatly, and had broken out in a thin sweat. If anything she looked like she had the flu and was about to throw up, more than nervous.

"Are you sure?" the short, black haired girl pursed. "You look awful. Maybe you should sit down."

"Yeah, I'll sit down. That should help a little," Orihime said and shakily stumbled over to a stack of floor-mats in the corner of the room with Rukia's aid.

Chizuru came running up to them, almost instinctively, wearing a white, Queen Marie Antoinette style dress. She had been blessed with the role of Carlotta in the play, mainly because she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket but still thought she was an excellent singer. The personalities almost matched, almost.

"Oh my god, Orihime, are you alright?" she exclaimed. That was a major difference between Chizuru and her character. Carlotta hated Christine. Chizuru loved the girl playing Christine. It was a bit of a difference between the two.

"I'm fine, Chizuru, really," Orihime lied pathetically. "I'm just a little nervous is all." She tried to smile but the gesture caused her to quickly clasp her hand to her mouth. The well-known sign of becoming ill was leaving it's acidic taste at the back of her tongue.

Chizuru shifted her glasses and her eyes disappeared behind the lenses as they reflected the light shining from the catwalk. "Are you sure? You smelled awfully strange this morning when you and Ulquiorra came to school. You're not pregnant, are you?"

Orihime's eyes sprang open as if they were on an automatic spring system and she blushed fifty shades of red at once. "Of course not," she exclaimed, "Ulquiorra and I have never done that or anything more than kiss or touch!"

Chizuru and Rukia jumped back at Orihime's sudden hostility. She and Ulquiorra must have done something if she was acting so unlike herself.

"Alright, Orihime, we believe you," Rukia apologized hastily, "just, please, keep your voice down. I don't think there's a single person here who didn't hear your little outburst."

"Oh my...I'm sorry, you guys," Orihime stared down at her lap, "I'm just really nervous. I couldn't even audition without Ulquiorra's help. How am I supposed to do this when he's not even going to come in until the third or fourth song?" She covered her face in her hands. "I'm so nervous!"

Rukia placed her hand on Orihime's shoulder. "Don't worry about it so much. I know you'll do great! After all, you were able to sing without Ulquiorra before."

"I guess, but I had Phantom sitting right up front when he wasn't there, and he's not allowed in the theater at any time during the play." Orihime hyperventilated and stared up at her friends. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Alright," Rukia stood up and a pained expression lit up her face, "I'm sorry, Orihime, but you leave me no choice." She drew her hand back slightly and slapped her friend across the face just enough to turn the distressed girl's head a fraction of a degree.

Orihime turned her head back towards her and placed a hand on her stinging cheek. Rukia just slapped her, but it was hard to tell who was in more shock; her or Chizuru.

Chizuru's hands were twitching at shoulder height and her jaw was scraping against the floor. "Rukia, what's wrong with you?" she exclaimed. "You just slapped Orihime like you owned her! Are you INSANE?"

"No, Chizuru, it's okay," Orihime said hastily. "I needed that. Thank you, Rukia, for slapping some sense into me; literally."

"No problem, Orihime," Rukia replied. "But if you freak out on us like that again, I assure you that I'll turn your head more than just a half a degree next time. Comprendé?"

Orihime sat up straight. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Good," the lights when low and excitement bubbled in Rukia's eyes, "the show's starting! Orihime, hurry up and put your ring on your right hand. You're not supposed to have a wedding band until later."

"I-It's not a wedding band," Orihime stuttered as she quickly switched the ring to her right ring finger, "Ulquiorra just gave it to me for good luck!"

"Did he put it on your finger?" Rukia asked slyly.

"Well, yes, but I don't see how-"

"Then it's a wedding band," Rukia repeated. "He put it on your left hand because he wants to marry you."

"Maybe he got mixed up in which hand was which," Orihime countered frantically. "He was facing me when he put it on. He could have thought that he was putting it on my right hand."

"Shh," a girl behind her hushed sternly.

Orihime was silent. Her nerves were the last thing on her mind.

"I do not know how you were able to stabilize your aura so well, Ulquiorra," Mademoiselle complimented. "It is almost as if you reversed the process a bit."

Ulquiorra followed behind her straightening his shirt and jacket cuffs. "Thank you, Mademoiselle," he fidgeted with the coat collar, "but I wish I did not have to wear this damn suit."

"You have to," Mademoiselle informed. "It is part of your character."

"Like the name 'Mademoiselle Leroux' is a part of yours," Ulquiorra countered.

"Ah, touché, Ulquiorra, but enough whitty banter for now. I must begin the program. So if you will excuse me," Mademoiselle bowed slightly, "I will be leaving you." She turned and walked towards the stage enterance.

"Mademoiselle," Ulquiorra called.

"Hm," she turned around, "what is it, Ulquiorra?"

"It is just," Ulquiorra looked to the side and shifted uncomfortably on his feet, "about my, my mother's, my sister's, and my father's rings. I appreciate that you kept them and returned them to me."

"I had a feeling you would," Mademoiselle smiled, "but I have the feeling that that is not all you wanted to say."

Ulquiorra pulled a hand out of his pocket and rubbed the back of his head. "No, it was not. You see...about what happened four-hundred years ago-" Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and he looked up at Mademoiselle.

"Do not worry about it, Ulquiorra. I understand completely." She kissed him lightly on the forehead and entered the stage.

"Thank you for blessing me, Lied Arduro," Ulquiorra whispered. He quickly ran up the stairs to the catwalk and watched over the crowd of people like the phantom he was.

Mademoiselle swept onto the stage wearing a black dress with a white swirl running down her side and studded with sparkling gems. "Bienvenue and good evening," she called melodically into the crowd, "my name is Mademoiselle Leroux. I have been directing the students of Karakura High for about three years now, and I must say that this is by far the best crowd of students that I have ever had the privilege of teaching. It makes me sad to say that I will be leaving after this year to pursue even greater goals; though I doubt that there will be as gifted students where I am going."

There was a roar of applause.

Mademoiselle smiled sweetly. "Yes, yes, I have had a wonderful three years teaching these students, and I will miss many of them. But you didn't come here just to hear my little soap opera," she laughed slightly and the rest of the theater followed, "you all came here to see and hear the wonderful acting and vocals of these young ladies and gentleman. So, without further ado, I present the Karakura High School students in: "The Phantom of the Opera!"

She flicked her hand and was immediately enveloped in a cloud of smoke and fire. The sound of "the Overture" sounded through the speaker system and the curtains pulled back to reveal a beautiful stage decorated to resemble the theater from the movie.

Ulquiorra and Orihime scanned the crowd as the gasped in awe at the beauty of the stage and all the performers. Tonight was going to be a night any of them were soon to forget. That was certain.

* * *

The crowd was kept sitting on the edge of their seats as the performance progressed through the beautiful melodies of "Think of Me", "the Angel of Music", "The Mirror", "the Phantom of the Opera", "Music of the Night", and "Prima Donna". They cried at the sheer beauty of Orihime's voice and appearance, gasped in awe at Ulquuiorra's mystery and vocal talent, and applauded at Ichigo's courage on the stage. They had roared in applause when Orihime and Ichigo danced and sang a gorgeous duet of "All I Ask of You", but were not fooled by the fake kiss they had exchanged, and clutched their hearts in sorrow when Ulquiorra sang the reprise with every ounce of his heart and soul; making everyone cry for his broken heart. Everyone was bouncing in their seats during "the Masquerade" and half of the theater cheered heartily for Ichigo as he and Orihime discussed their 'secret engagement'. There was not a single dry eye in the house as Orihime sang a heartwrenching "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" for her deceased brother, Sora; crying herself halfway through the piece. Now they were all preparing for "the Point of No Return"; one of the most intense scenes of the play next to "Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer".

"This is it, Orihime," Tatsuki said zipping the back of her black dress, "are you ready?"

Orihime took a deep breath and nodded. "You bet!" How couldn't she be? This was one of her favorite parts in the movie, because it was such an intense, heated moment between Christine and Erik. And she was going to experience it with the one man she truly loved, Ulquiorra.

"Alright," Tatsuki spun her around so she was facing the stage entrance, "you're going to enter through here and stop about halfway between the staircase and the ring of fire. Don't worry about getting burned, Mademoiselle took extra precautions to make sure no one would get hurt." She clipped the safety line to the harness hidden under Orihime's dress. "When you fall through the upper level secret door, don't worry about anything. This cable will catch you."

"How do you think Mademoiselle was able to afford all of these props on the small budget we were given?" Orihime asked in wonder.

"Don't know. Don't care," Tatsuki replied. "All I know is that this is the best show we've ever put on. Now, get ready. The act's about to start." She rushed from backstage dressing room over to the small walkway that led to the sound booth.

Music boomed through the sound system and everyone took their positions. Orihime slowly made her way on stage and knelt down next to the fire. The heat was so intense it was licking the flesh of her exposed shoulders and arms. How was this not going to burn her?

The curtain pulled back and Ulquiorra quickly swapped his white mask for the black, leather one intended for this scene. He could not help but feel uncomfortable. Ever since the woman had pretended to kiss Kurosaki, very poorly of both of their parts, he had felt a strain deep within him that only got worse as he watched the spark in her eyes rekindle as she and the orange haired trash pretend to love one another. It felt as if someone was pulling on his intestines and twisting them like taffy.

But he did not have time to think about such discomforts now, his woman was waiting for him. He would join her on stage and sing with so much vigor that she would realize that he was the right man for her. The only man for her.

He brought his cloak around to cover his face and stepped onto the stage. "Go away for the trap is set and waits for it's prey," he sang in dismissal of the two students standing next to him and lowered his cape. "You have come here. In pursuit of your deepest urge. In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent," he brought a finger to his lips, "silent." He slowly walked towards Orihime.

"I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge!" his deep voice called out as he held out his hand and gently clenched it into a fist, chilling everyone in the audience,"In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me. Now you are here with me, no second thoughts. You've decided; decided."

Orihime stared at him wide eyed and stood up. He was acting so much differently than how he had been earlier. He was more forward, seductive, mesmerizing. His deep gaze was enough to hypnotize her and make her bend to his will; adding his deep, husky voice into the equation was almost more than she could bear.

Ulquiorra slowly closed the distance between him and his woman. "Past the point of no return; no backward glances, our games of make believe are at an end." He circled Orihime like a predator encircles a trapped rabbit. "Past all thought of "if" or "when". No use resisting. Abandon thought and let the dream descend."

He quickly spun around and entrapped his woman in his arms. "What raging FIRE shall flood the soul? What rich desire unlocks it's door," he gently etched a trail of fire down Orihime's neck and shoulder as he slowly brushed his fingers down her arm to hold her hand in his, "what sweet seduction lies before us?

"Past the point of no return, the final threshold. What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn?" Ulquiorra slowly backed away from Orihime. "Beyond the point of no return."

Orihime found it difficult to look away from her Phantom to sing. She wanted to lock her gaze with his and give him the treasure he had refused to obtain for himself. But she couldn't: one, they were in front of an audience of parents, friends, and fellow students; and two, she had to sing.

She tore her eyes away from the mysterious Phantom and gazed out into the crowd. "You have brought me, to that moment where words run dry, to that moment where speech disappears into silence; silence.

"I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why." Orihime blushed and closed her eyes. "In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless, and silent. Now I am here with you," she gazed at Ulquiorra with lust filling her eyes, "no second thoughts. I've decided; decided.

"Past the point of no return, no going back now. Our passion-play has now at last begun," she walked over to the staircase leading to the upper stage that was brought out for the scene. "Past all thought of right or wrong. One final question," she leaned over the railing halfway up the stairs, "how long should we two wait before we're one?"

Now it was Ulquiorra's turn to be hypnotized. He could only stare in wonder at how bold Orihime was being in her taunts. She was luring him dangerously to the edge, and he was following like a lovestruck fool; quickly mimicking her previous actions he took to the staircase on his side of the stage, jumping two, if not three, steps at a time. Yes, he was definitely under her spell.

Orihime's eyes closed slightly as she smiled down at her pursuer from across the platform as she reached the top landing and continued to sing with more energy and emotion than she had sang in the show so far. "When will the blood begin to race; the sleeping bud burst into bloom. When will the flames at last CONSUME us?"

They gazed into each others eyes from across the landing and slowly closed the distance between them with a haste that only lovers know to embrace one another as their voices melded together in unison. "Past the point of no return, the final threshold," Ulquiorra spun Orihime and wrapped his arm around her waist as the smell of her hair intoxicated him as they both faced the crowd, "the bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn! We've passed the point of no return."

The music slowed to a soft, sweet tune and for that moment it was just the two of them standing there in an empty theater. No one was taping the performance. No one in the sound booth listening in on them. No one was watching them from below. It was just them and their two hearts beating wildly in their chests.

Ulquiorra gently covered Orihime's hand in his and slowly slid it up her body, resting it at the base of her throat. He could feel her heart beating frantically underneath her soft hand as her pulse raced, her blood was burning hot and coloring her cheeks a shade of crimson that would make a rose wilt with envy, and her eyes were lidded to the point where it was impossible to tell if they were open or not. This woman was his and would always be his; forever. And now was the time to show her that.

He gently ran his fingers along Orihime's jaw line and sang in a soft whisper filled with sadness and love. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Lead me, save me from my solitude." He gently grasped her hand.

"Say you want me with you here, beside you," he spun Orihime slowly until she was facing him and held her hand in both of his, "ANYWHERE you go let me go to. Christine, that's all I ask of-"

Orihime pulled Ulquiorra's mask off at that moment and all hell broke loose. A heavy, powerful wave of dark energy exploded throughout the room in a black and green light as the mask pulled away from his face, people in the audience gasped in terror and cowered in their seats, and the lights were extinguished from the pressure emanating from the young Phantom. The sound of fabric tearing could be heard as two, great, black wings protruded from his back and a long, cord-like tail lashed out from the base of his spine. He looked down at his hands in horror as they grew black fur and long, razor sharp claws, and cried out in agony as two horns quickly sprouted from his skull; revealing two, needle-like fangs. This could not be happening; not now!

Ulquiorra quickly scanned the theater. People were screaming and cowering from him in fear. He did not dare look at Orihime. Instead he quickly pressed her close to his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her hair.

Orihime blinked in confusion. "Ulquiorra, what's going on- AH!" She screamed as he kicked the trap door beneath them open and they fell into the burning ring of fire.

It was suddenly dark and cold. Orihime looked around and realized that she was all alone underneath the stage. She and Ulquiorra must have fallen down the trap doors, but if that was the case, then why wasn't she wearing her harness?

Something shifted in the darkness and she jumped in surprise. "H-hello, i-is anyone there?"

No answer.

This had to be a dream. There was no way this was real. Where was Ulquiorra? What had happened up there? There were so many questions spinning around in her head she could hardly think straight. She was dizzy, cold, alone, and scared.

"Orihime!" a melodic voice called.

Orihime quickly spun around and her face lit up. Mademoiselle was running towards her; glowing a savior's light.

"Mademoiselle," Orihime cried as she plastered herself to her teacher, "what's going on? What happened up there? Why am I down hear? WHERE'S ULQUIORRA?" She could hardly keep herself under control. Everything was so messed up.

"Shh," Mademoiselle hushed warmly, "it's alright, Orihime. You're fine. It's about time you knew the truth anyway. I'm just sorry that it has to be now."

Orihime sniffed like a child and looked up into her teacher's glowing, midnight blue eyes. "What do you mean it's time I knew the truth? What's going on?"

Mademoiselle closed her eyes and was engulfed in a blinding white light. Her dress turned into a glowing white fabric embedded with thousands of little star-like diamonds. She held Orihime out at arms length and patted her head. "Ulquiorra and I are not what you think we are."

Despite the pain caused by the intense light, Orihime's eyes grew wide. "Huh? What are you talking about? W-What are you? Where's Ulquiorra? Why is this happening now?" she demanded.

"Perhaps it would be easier for you to understand what I am talking about if I showed you, but you need to calm down," Mademoiselle informed. "At the rate you are going, you will either go completely insane or faint. I will explain everything once you have done that much."

Orihime slowly composed herself enough to stop screaming and crying, but she was still shaking violently. A coat was placed over her shoulders and she turned around. "Thank you-" her eyes almost bugged out of her head. There was a black winded creature standing over her with gray-green tear marks on his face and golden yellow iris' submerged in green orbs where it was supposed to be white. "U-Ul...qui...orra?"

Ulquiorra stared at the ground in pain. She was afraid of him. He knew she would be. Everyone was. But why did it hurt so much? The uncontrollable terror that had flashed through her eyes was enough to make the hole in his chest ache. She felt more fear towards him than she did love.

"What happened to you?" Orihime asked in barely a whisper. She couldn't bring herself to look away from Ulquiorra's winged form. It wasn't because she was afraid of him. It was because she had seen this creature before in a dream. And, if her dream was right and this was Ulquiorra, then he was also her dog, Phantom.

"His time in that human state is up," Mademoiselle explained. "You see, Orihime. Ulquiorra is not exactly human. I cursed him four-hundred years ago to live the rest of his life in the state you see before you."

Orihime's eyes widened slightly. "You mean, he's over four-hundred years old?"

"Yes," Mademoiselle replied.

"And you cursed him to live forever like this?"

"Yes."

Orihime furrowed her eyebrows and turned on her teacher. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" she demanded. "ULQUIORRA IS THE KINDEST, SWEETEST MAN I HAVE EVER KNOWN! HOW COULD YOU JUST CURSE HIM TO LIVE FOREVER LIKE THIS," she pointed to him, "WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO DESERVE SUCH A CRUEL FATE?" She grabbed Mademoiselle's dress. "TELL ME!"

Mademoiselle stared down at Orihime with empty eyes. "I am not allowed to disclose such information. You will have to ask Ulquiorra yourself," she gently pulled herself from Orihime's grip easily.

"But you never let me finish," she continued. "There are ways for him to obtain his human life permanently."

"HOW?" Orihime screamed, but was cut-off when Mademoiselle pinned her to the wall by her throat.

"Calm down," she growled. "I gave him two lessons that he needed to learn for him to return to his human life once more. One was that he had to learn how to love another, which he did. He fell in love with you and was rewarded for it with a few weeks of being able to be with you in his human body." She released Orihime and watched her slide to the floor. "That was the first time he has ever been able to do that."

Orihime opened her eyes and stared at Ulquiorra in disbelief. "You mean he's never...loved...anyone else in four-hundred years? I was his first?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but both Mademoiselle and Ulquiorra heard it.

"Yes," Ulquiorra answered. He still refused to look at Orihime in fear that he would see the terror obscuring her usually happy and carefree eyes.

Orihime stared down at her lap. She was the first, and only, person he had ever loved in four-hundred years. "Was there anyone before the curse?"

Ulquiorra glanced at Orihime out of the corner of his eye. "No."

A blush painted Orihime's cheek. Not only was she his first in four-hundred years, but she was his first ever! She felt like a complete whore. She had loved Ichigo before Ulquiorra had come along, and now her heart belonged to him entirely. But when she had seen him in this form, she wondered for a split second if she could love him like this.

"The second lesson he had to learn," Mademoiselle continued, "was how to sacrifice himself for the one he loves. That would relieve him of his immortality and he would be able to live his life as a normal human being again."

"But Ulquiorra's saved me plenty of times," Orihime exclaimed.

"Yes, he has. But as I informed Ulquiorra five weeks ago, protecting someone and sacrificing yourself for a person you deeply care about are two different things. I have seen numerous people die trying to protect someone and never know the art of self sacrifice. Mercenaries are prone to that kind of knowledge and behavior."

Ulquiorra tensed at this statement. After all, he was an ex-mercenary. But, then again, the only way you ever became an ex-mercenary was when you died. He was not dead, nor dying; once a mercenary, always a mercenary.

"How are we going to go on with the show?" Ulquiorra asked to distract himself from his thoughts. "I cannot reveal myself like this in front of all of those people."

Mademoiselle sighed and looked at Ulquiorra with sorrowful eyes. "I was afraid one of you were going to ask that. I know a way to at least make you appear human enough for this to work, but I warn you. The pain will be excruciating."

"I will do anything," Uquiorra said and glanced at Orihime with loving eyes, "just as long as I am able to make her happy."

Orihime looked Ulquiorra in the eye for the first time since she was brought down here. He was willing to undergo excruciating procedures to make her happy? What kind of girl was she? How could she ever have questioned her love for him even for an instant?

"Alright," Mademoiselle sighed, "then kneel down. I will take care of your horns first. They will be the least painful to remove, along with your claws."

"As you command," Ulquiorra replied. He knelt down on his knees and bowed his head. Whatever pain was awaiting him, he would meet it head on like a mercenary, no, like a man.

Mademoiselle walked over to a black crate and pulled out a heavy duty branch clipper. "Orihime."

"Y-yes," Orihime replied, tearing her eyes away from the shining blades of the clippers.

"Once I am finished with cutting Ulquiorra's horns, I need you to comfort him while I take care of his wings." Mademoiselle stood on top of Ulquiorra's hands and eased his left horn between the blades.

Orihime nodded. "Alright, I will."

Mademoiselle took a deep breath and sliced off Ulquiorra's horn with one, swift snap of the clippers. It fell to the floor with a clatter and she snapped her fingers; incinerating it instantly. "Now for the other one."

She repeated the action with his remaining horn and claws; turning them to ash as they hit the ground. "Alright, Ulquiorra, I need you to lay down on your side. Orihime, sit down in front of him in case he needs some kind of comforting. This is going to be one of he most painful things you will ever experience."

Ulquiorra slowly laid down on his side and sighed. The cool floor felt good on his sore head. He had a pounding headache no one could even imagine. It had felt like Mademoiselle was cracking his horns straight down into the core of his skull.

Orihime hesitantly sat down in front of him. "Aren't you scared?"

"Why would I be?" Ulquiorra replied emotionless.

Orihime watched in horror as Mademoiselle brought out even bigger, more heavy duty chain cutters and placed one of the handles on the floor for leverage. "Because I am." She was surprised to find how true it was.

"The only think I am afraid of," Ulquiorra said, "is hurting you in any way. I know I frighten you. To me, this is just a small price to pay for not being able to be the man you deserve."

Mademoiselle eased his wing between the blades of the chain cutters. "This is going to hurt."

"Just get on with it," Ulquiorra said sullenly.

"As you wish." Mademoiselle gripped the handle sticking in the air with both hands and forced it down with all of her strength.

Ulquiorra's eyes shot open and he screamed. His hands quickly grasped Orihime's and clung to them for dear life. The pain was more than excruciating. It was more agonizing than sticking his wing in a vat of acid. The worst part was that the blade had only cut about halfway through, if that.

Mademoiselle rested the handle on her shoulder and slowly, agonizingly, pulled it out of the bone. "Ready, Ulquiorra?"

"...Just...go," Ulquiorra grunted in agony. This was his punishment for scaring Orihime. This was his punishment for not being able to be a man worthy of her love. This was his punishment for hurting her and everyone else who ever mattered to him.

Mademoiselle brought the handle down again and cut the wing off with a clean CRACK!

Ulquiorra howled in agonizing pain and squeezed Orihime's hand tighter. Pain exploded through his body. It was worse the second time she cut than it did the first time, and he still had one wing left. "God, have mercy on me," he thought.

Tears formed in Orihime's eyes. She had never seen Ulquiorra in so much pain. It was as if he was wearing a mask of pain to hide his face behind like the real Opera Phantom, and it was all her fault. If she hadn't have had that moment of weakness when she saw him, he wouldn't be doing this. He wouldn't be putting himself through so much pain. It was all her fault!

Mademoiselle incinerated the still bleeding, twitching wing and picked up the chain cutter. "Ulquiorra, if you can hear me, I need you to turn over so I can get your other wing. You can pass out once you have done that."

Ulquiorra grunted as he slowly rolled onto his stomach and stopped. He was panting and digging his nails into the concrete floor. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to stop and just lay there, but he refused to listen. He had to do this. It was his punishment; even if it was thousands upon thousands times worse than any whipping he had endured as a child when he was undergoing his mercenary training.

The muscles on his back contracted and blood pooled in the small of his back; finally spilling over his sides onto the floor. He had to turn over. If he did not, who knew how many times Mademoiselle would have to hack away at his wing to sever it? It took her two cuts to remove one when she used the floor for leverage and was using her whole body as a counter weight.

Orihime couldn't take it. Ulquiorra was suffering just so he could continue being with her in the play. She had to stop this.

"Ulquiorra," she started, but he placed a furred finger to her lips.

"Do not," he grunted in pain, "do...not...try and...talk me out of this." His shoulder muscles shook violently as he tried to roll over onto his other side.

Orihime placed her hands on his shoulder, "then at least let me help you!"

"No!" Ulquiorra said firmly. There was no malice or anger in his voice, but it had a stiff tone to it that caused Orihime to slowly retract her hands. "I must do this on my own. I grew up learning that and have been living like this for hundreds of years."

"But you were alone back then," Orihime cried. "You're not alone anymore! Don't you trust me enough to help you?"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened. He stopped straining his muscles and turned his head enough to look at Orihime. She was shaking and desperately trying to fight back tears. A pain even worse than what he was feeling now suddenly shot through his heart.

"You've protected me so many times without my knowing," Orihime choked back a sob. "You protected me in your human form and as a dog, as Phantom."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened a fraction of a centimeter. How had she found out? Neither he or Mademoiselle had told her about his shape shifting ability.

Orihime sniffed and wiped her eyes. "If you truly love me, then let me help you. I know I can't protect you, but let me help!" Something soft and warm cupped her cheek and she opened her eyes. Ulquiorra was staring up at her with half lidded eyes and a smile of defeat plastered painfully on his face.

"Alright," he panted, "you win. I will swallow my pride...just this once. If you feel...that you must help me,..then do as you wish."

Orihime tried to smile, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. He was allowing her to help, but he was allowing her to help him cause himself even more pain. She held his hand in hers and gently rolled him over onto his other side; causing all the blood that had pooled in the middle of his back to cascade onto the floor. She quickly jumped over his back so she could be in front of him, and laid down.

"What...what are you doing, Orihime?" Ulquiorra asked as the fragile girl cuddled up to his chest.

"I can't protect you, but I can be here for you," Orihime replied. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you, Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra's eyes widened. She loved him? Even though he was a mercenary, a monster, a murderer; she loved him? He closed his eyes and breathed in the intoxicating aroma of her hair. What had he ever done to deserve a woman as amazing as this?

Mademoiselle eased Ulquiorra's remaining wing between the chain cutter's blades. "Are you ready, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra gently wrapped his arms around his woman and prepared himself for the wave of agony he knew was imminent. "Go."

Mademoiselle paused for a split second. Was it safe for Orihime to be wrapped in Ulquiorra's arms like that when he was enduring so much pain? He was strong enough to break her in half if he lost control for even a fraction of a second. She observed how rigid his body was and decided that he would not harm the girl he loved. Finally she threw all of her weight into the handle and chopped the remaining wing off in one, clean strike.

Ulquiorra tightened his arms around Orihime and shook violently. He would not scream. He would not crush this woman. He would lay here and endure every last drop of pain inflicted upon him. It was the least he could do.

"Alright, Ulquiorra," Mademoiselle said, incinerating the remaining wing, "try to compose yourself. I will be back shortly with new clothes for you to wear. I am not going to cut off your tail because you can easily wrap it around your waist, and I will try to find a pair of gloves for you to cover your hands with." She suddenly disappeared in the ever lingering darkness and Ulquiorra and Orihime were alone.

Ulquiorra could feel his blood spread across the floor and mustered up what was left of his strength to roll over onto his back; pulling Orihime onto his chest as he did so. He winced in pain as his still open wounds made contact with the dirt covered floor but quickly dismissed the uncomfortable sting.

Orihime blushed idiotically as Ulquiorra pulled her onto his chest. What was he doing? There was no way this made his wounds feel any better.

"Orihime," he panted.

"Y-yes, Ulquiorra," she gently pushed herself up enough to look him in the eyes, "what is it?"

Ulquiorra placed a hand on the back of her head and gently kissed her on the lips. "Thank you."

Orihime blushed a deeper shade of red. "F-for what; I didn't do anything."

Ulquiorra chuckled slightly. "You have no idea how wrong you are. I owe you more than a vow of gratitude. You taught me how to love and reminded me that I am not alone in this world anymore. You love me even though I am a heartless murderer. I owe you so much more than just a simple thank you."

"You don't owe me anything," Orihime exclaimed. "You've saved me so many times. I think we can call it even."

"No. I will not 'call it even'," Ulquiorra sighed. "I owe you more than you know, so if there is anything you desire. I will do everything in my power to help you attain it."

Orihime thought for a second and kissed him on the lips. "Well," she rested her head on his chest, "if you really mean that, you can start by telling me you love me."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "What would that accomplish?" He gently stroked her hair. "You already know I do."

"I want to hear you say it," Orihime pursed.

There was a pause.

"I love you, Orihime Inoue," Ulquiorra said in a voice so seductive it sent chills down her spine.

Orihime smiled and giggled slightly. "There, now was that so hard?"

"No." Ulquiorra stared up into the dark abyss. "Actually, that was probably the easiest thing I have done in the how many months I have known you, Orihime," he thought.

They laid there in silence for what seemed like hours. It was quiet and peaceful. Unfortunately, not everything always plays out so smoothly, but they would worry about the bumps as they went along. Right now it was just them, and nothing was going to tear them apart.


	15. Chapter 15

"Ulquiorra, Ulquiorra," Orihime exclaimed. She burst through her bedroom door and jumped onto the bed where he had accidentally fallen asleep. His body was launched into the air by the shock wave of her overly excited leap and he clung to the hot pink comforter for dear life. This woman could cause some of the rudest awakenings he had ever had the displeasure to experience.

She crawled over to where he was laying and used his stomach and hind legs as a backrest. He had decided to remain in his canine form while he was inside the apartment so he would not break or damage anything. Also because he fit more comfortably, not only in the house, but in his bean-bag chair as well while in this body.

Orihime unrolled the newspaper in her hand and held it in front of Ulquiorra's nose. There was a picture of the Karakura High School theater on the front cover with "STUDENTS CONDUCT AMAZING PERFORMANCE!" as a heading. "Look, Ulquiorra! We made it on the front page of the paper!"

Ulquiorra huffed. The woman obviously had not noticed that this paper was two weeks old.

"Oh, come on, Ulquiorra," Orihime whined. "This is great news! Here," she flipped the pages and held two pages worth of articles so close to his face he went cross-eyed, "they wrote an entire story about the play! Look! There's us!"

She pointed to a black and white photo in the middle of the page. There they were. Ulquiorra was wearing the Phantom's attire, mask and all, looking as uninterested as possible, Orihime was practically radiating her own sunlight as she smiled in front of the camera, wearing Christine's dress, and Ichigo was smirking at the camerawoman while trying to make his chest puff out in Raoul's dress coat. It was a relatively good picture of him and the woman, but seeing Kurosaki flirting with the woman holding the camera irked him severely.

"And listen to this," Orihime exclaimed and held the paper in front of her. "Orihime Inoue and Ichigo Kurokaki, two juniors attending Karakura High School, and Ulquiorra Shiffer, nephew of Mademoiselle Leroux, high school drama teacher, along with the rest of Karakura High School Drama students enacted an exquisite performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" Friday night. After only five weeks of hard practice and rehearsals, the class was able to blow the audience away in a spectacular show with their truly spectacular talent and mind blowing effects.

" "I could hardly believe I was watching a High School play!" one spectator exclaimed. "I don't know what was better; the special effects or the acting!" another parent said excitedly.

"The crowd was won over by Ichigo Kurosaki's brave impersonation of Raoul as he saved Orihime Inoue, who played as Christine, from the Opera Phantom, Ulquiorra Shiffer. His courage on stage and charming personality took many young ladies' breath away as he portrayed Raoul's love for Christine perfectly.

" "My son's been practicing like crazy for the past five weeks," informed Ichigo's father, Ishin Kurosaki. "He even went over to Orihime's house to get some help, and I'm glad he did. What I saw tonight was ten times better than what he did at home." The father laughed, but was immediately knocked unconscious by one of his daughters and was unable to finish the interview.

"Even though Ichigo's performance was rightfully admired, the crowd could not help but to fall in love with Ulquiorra Shiffer's heart throbbing performance as the Phantom, Erik. Audience members would gasp in wonder at his mysterious demeanor, clutch their hearts during his sorrowful, yet beautiful singing, and swoon at his enticing vows of love and devotion towards Christine, Orihime Inoue.

" "I've read the book and seen the movie," one girl in the play said, "and I have always had my heart set on Raoul. But the way Ulquiorra brought the character to life, I fell in love with the man!" the girl blushed madly and restated her comment, "I mean I love the Phantom, not Ulquiorra, but he is really, really handsom. Wait, forget I said that!". "You could have sworn that he actually had feelings towards Orihime," another girl was willing to share with our reporter. "I'm so jealous!" a girl in the audience exclaimed. There were many other comments, from men and women alike, about the young man's spectacular performance, but we were unable to publish them due to mature content.

"As much as the crowd loved Ichigo Kurosaki's performance, and adored Ulquiorra Shiffer's realistic vows of love, many of the audience's favorite actor (besides Ulquiorra), or actress in this case, was the stunning performance of Orihime Inoue. There was not a single person in the theater who did not feel the passion radiating off the young woman as she sang her duets with Ulquiorra Shiffer and Ichigo Kurosaki. They applauded at every song and cried along with her when she broke out in tears in the middle of singing "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again." The young actress stunned the entire theater with both her elegant beauty and gorgeous singing.

" "I knew she would do great," one of the young actress' friends, Rukia Kuchki, stated, "she was so worried before the show I could have sworn she was about to throw up, but she was able to hold it down and perform like she was the only person in the building." "Orihime always had a thing for the Phantom when we were stuck reading the book for a class," another classmate declared, "but I think she really had a thing for Ulquiorra." Many other classmates and audience members agreed that they felt that they could practically feel the young red head's love towards the young Phantom, Ulquiorra.

"And it goes on to our interviews," Orihime squealed and squirmed happily. "Oh, I'm so happy I didn't throw away this paper. I'm gonna scrapbook these articles. No, I know! I'll frame it! It'll last longer that way!"

Ulquiorra huffed in a dog-like laugh and turned his head. The woman could get excited over the simplest of things. It was becoming more and more difficult not to laugh.

Orihime jumped off the bed and folded the paper gently. "Oh, I wonder if the library at school would laminate it? Then it would stay safe until I found a frame big enough to hold it! What do you think, Ulquiorra?"

Ulquiorra exhaled through his nose and nuzzled his nose in the pink comforter. That was his personal way of saying "do as you wish" that she would understand.

"Hey, you're mocking me, aren't you?" Orihime whined.

Ulquiorra huffed in affirmation. "It is very simple to do when you react in such ways, woman," he thought.

Orihime placed her hands on her hips and bent over the bed. "You don't need to make fun of me. I know I'm a little over excited, but how can I not be? This is great news for me!"

Ulquiorra growled slightly in annoyance and readjusted himself into a more comfortable position.

"Alright," Orihime said slyly. An evil grin spread across her lips. "If you won't stop teasing me, then I'll make you stop."

The sudden mischief in her voice made Ulquiorra's head snap up. He hated it when she sounded like that. It meant something was about to happen to him that he severely detested. And the evil look she was giving him did not ease his anxieties at all.

Orihime's appearance changed from sweet, teenage girl, to dominatrix, to evil little kitten in a matter of seconds. She leaped onto the bed, flipped Ulquiorra onto his back, and pinned him down with her elbows on each side of him while holding his paws.  
"Ha! I got you!" she laughed, and gently kissed his nose.

Ulquiorra froze but the shock was short lived, and he growled as Orihime moved his front paws up and down in a dancing motion. This was humiliating and degrading far beyond any point he had ever witnessed in his entire life. She had attained dominance over him so easily and was now playing with him like a doll. Well, two could play at that game. He mouthed her wrist until she let go and quickly used this chance to pin her underneath him; his tail raised high in the air.

"Aw," Orihime whined, "no fair! How can you still pin me when you're a dog? This is so not fair!"

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. He had only been fighting in this form for how many decades; she should not be asking such futile questions.

Orihime used Ulquiorra's distracting thoughts to her advantage. She wrapped her arm around his neck and rolled off the bed, holding him to her front possessively. "Ha! Try to get out of this! Tatsuki taught me how to do this when we were little and used to watch wrestling." She spun him around so they were front to back and wrapped her legs around his waist, below the ribs, while holding his paws close to his body.

He growled and struggled against her arms, but could not free himself from the woman's hold. How had she gotten the better of him a second time? This was ridiculous. He was a mercenary captain. He should not be detained so easily by a woman of any kind, much less this woman.

Orihime fell onto her side and rolled onto her stomach so she was on top of Ulquiorra. "One...two...three...ding, ding, ding, I win!" She released his paws, sat up, and held her hands high above her head. "And the crowd goes wild," she exclaimed as she straddled his back.

"You think so?" Ulquiorra thought cunningly. She may have pinned him, but he was going to have the last laugh. He quickly stood up and jumped foreward.

"AH," Orihime screamed and fell forward, clinging to the scruff of his neck as if her life depended on it, "Ulquiorra, what are you doing? Put me down! Put me down! Put...me...DOWN!"

Ulquiorra smirked to himself. "I think not, woman." He ran around the apartment, barely avoiding hitting the coffee table and kitchen chairs, and stopped abruptly in front of the couch. His horse had done this to him once when he was ten, and it taught him never to jump an animal ever again. It should do the same for the woman.

Orihime yelped in surprise as she fell head over heels onto the couch. Her ankles slammed against the wall and her head dangled over the edge of the cushion. She stared at Ulquiorra's upside down figure dizzily. "Okay, you win."

She slowly flipped herself right side up and immediately felt all of the blood rush out of her head. "Whoa, I feel, aah," she fell back onto the couch and laid there motionless. The room was spinning and she couldn't feel her legs.

Ulquiorra suddenly felt a twinge of regret shoot through his heart. He had not meant to make her feel ill. Now she was dizzy to the point where he could see her eyes spinning in circles and pale as a sheet. He whined and nuzzled her hand.

Orihime smiled at him and pet his head. "I'm alright, Ulquiorra, really. I'm just a little light headed; trying to stand up after all the blood rushed to my head wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done."

Ulquiorra stared at her skeptically and nuzzled her arm until it was wrapped limply around his neck.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime smiled, "what's gotten into you?"

He licked her hand and nuzzled his nose in the crook of her neck. To be perfectly honest, he did not know himself. He suddenly just wanted to comfort her in any way possible. If she had told him to morph into his winged form and told him to the grocery store to buy her ice-cream, he would.

There was a high-pitched whine coming from next door as Orihime's new neighbor got home and turned on his stereo. He had moved in about a week ago and tended to play his music way too loud. It kept Orihime awake late at night and annoyed Ulquiorra to no end. But as a soothing sound of a drum and guitar gently thumped through the walls, they decided not to complain to the landlord just yet.

Orihime stared at the ceiling and smiled. "Ulquiorra," she turned her head towards him and patted her stomach.

Ulquiorra knew exactly what she wanted him to do, but something told him not to do it. He had a feeling that if he complied to her request she would ask him to do something else. Unfortunately his desire to make her happy took control of his body and he jumped onto the couch; laying down on her stomach while his head rested on her chest.

There was a certain warmth that spread through Orihime's body as Ulquiorra gently rested his head on her chest; even if he was in his canine form. It cleared away any dizziness that filled her head and caused every one of her muscles to relax. She wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders and started stroking his soft fur.

"Ulquiorra," she whispered, "could you do one more thing for me?"

Ulquiorra exhaled through his nose in a fatigued reply. The feel of her gently petting him was lulling him to sleep.

"Change into your winged form," she whispered.

There was a low growl threatening to rip from Ulquiorra's throat, but he restrained it and gazed into Orihime's pleading eyes. The severity in his stare told her one thing. "No."

Orihime frowned and a barely audible sound escaped her lips, "Please."

That was all it took. The sound of Orihime's pleading voice echoed through Ulquiorra's head was like thunder ricocheting off of the steep cliffs of The Grand Canyon, her eyes had peered deep into his soul and snapped his will in two like a toothpick, and the warmth of her hands rubbing his shoulder blades made him yearn to feel her hands running along his skin. Not even the most hardened of mercenaries could have refused her; much less him.

He morphed into his winged form and rested his cheek on her chest. His wings and horns had grown back, but he kept his horns trimmed so he would be able to walk through the woman's apartment without worrying about breaking a light fixture while making sure his wings did not knock anything over. "Is this better?"

"Yes," Orihime replied happily. She ran her fingers through his hair with one hand while her other hand slowly massaged circles in the bare skin of his shoulders, occasionally brushing up against the leathery folds of his wings.

The lights suddenly turned off and the lamp on the table on the left side of the couch flicked on, casting a soft, yellow glow throughout the room. Orihime couldn't help but smile. "Is that really necessary?"

"The light was becoming quite bothersome," Ulquiorra replied. His tail flicked happily back and forth before wrapping itself around the two lovers' waists.

They laid like that for minutes in silence, but it felt like hours. Ulquiorra was listening to the steady beating of Orihime's heart, and she stared down at the top of his head while playing with his thick, black hair. The slow music playing through the walls had created an aura of utter bliss between them and was lulling them to sleep.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime asked sweetly.

"Hm?" Ulquiorra was not really paying attention. He was more focused on playing with a strand of her hair with his clawed hand.

"That castle you attacked the day you were cursed. That was your home, wasn't it?" Orihime asked, her voice was barely above a whisper.

Ulquiorra stopped playing with the strand of red hair. "It was."

"And the king you killed," she continued, "that was your father?"

"If you could call him that," Ulquiorra replied, a faint tone of bitterness colored his voice, as he continued running the lock of hair between his fingers.

Orihime pressed her lips against his hair. "Then wouldn't that make you a prince, and your sister a princess?"

"Yes," Ulquiorra whispered as the memories of his early childhood filled his head, "I was the heir to my father's kingdom. My mother was his queen and my sister was the princess, and the envy of every girl within the castle walls."

"She was really that pretty?" Orihime asked.

Ulquiorra nuzzled his face into the soft fabric of her shirt. "As an elder brother, I take pride in saying that she was beautiful, but we looked alike in many ways. We both inherited our mother's appearance, but she was blessed with her chocolate brown hair, her kind personality, and our father's crystal blue eyes. I was born with our mother's eyes and our father's black hair, 'chivalrous' personality, and surpassed his strength and intelligence."

Orihime pictured Ulquiorra's mother, father, and younger sister in her mind. It was difficult to imagine two women looking like him only with brown hair.

"Do you miss them?" she asked.

There was a pause.

"I would be lying if I said that I did," Ulquiorra finally answered dully.

Orihime's eyes widened.

"For the only one I truly miss is my younger sister," Ulquiorra continued. "I do regret killing my mother, but I do not miss her as much as I do Lena. She was kind, yes, but she also did not care for me as much as you see mothers care for their sons now."

"What do you mean?" Orihime asked in barely a whisper.

Ulquiorra gently grasped her hand and led it down to the scar on his ribcage. "My mother would occasionally have a quick temper. After I was born, she took me to the armory and sliced my skin with her dagger."

"That's awful!" Orihime gasped.

"No. That is just how her family welcomed a new life into the world. The first born is cut on the ribs, second is cut on the inner thigh, third on the arm, and so on. There has never been a fifth." Ulquiorra pulled his hand away and continued playing with the red-orange tresses laying in front of his face.

Orihime was silent for a moment. "Would you carry on with your mother's tradition if you had children?"

He might not have been able to see the tears filling the woman's eyes, but Ulquiorra could hear them in her voice as if they were falling on his face. He could tell what she was thinking and it made him sick to his stomach.

He lifted himself up and kissed her fully. "I would rather die than put any of my children through that," he whispered into her lips. "Nothing would put me through more hell than bringing a child into this world just to harm them for a barbaric tradition."

Tears escaped Orihime's closed eyes and he kissed her again. He had to make her see that he would never continue the tradition of inflicting pain and suffering upon his children, or, if he ever attained his human life, theirs. Even if he had to run his sword through his body or take a bullet to the chest to prove it, he would make her understand.

Orihime returned the kiss and broke away. "Did your father's side of the family have any traditions?" She had kept her eyes closed. She couldn't ask Ulquiorra that question and look at him at the same time.

Ulquiorra leaned down next to her ear. "I would not be able to carry it on even if I wanted to."

"What is it?" Orihime asked. She still hadn't opened her eyes.

"To give your first born to a band of mercenaries so they can be trained in the art of killing," Ulquiorra whispered.

Orihime's eyes snapped open. Ulquiorra was staring down at her with lidded, sad eyes. "You were-"

"Now you know," Ulquiorra interrupted. "My father handed me over to the strongest, most vile band of mercenaries when I was just eight years old. He told me that I was to either come back when I turned eighteen and was a strong fighter who would do him proud, or be carried back on our coat of arms. He knew I would either die before my eighteenth birthday or come back as something he had failed to attain."

"How could someone do that?" Orihime gasped, and covered her mouth. Tears were spilling over her eyelids and running down her face in steady streams.

Ulquiorra wiped her tears away with his finger. "I grew up in a completely different world than you did. Back then it was simple to do such things to your children; it was almost required. Men would sell their daughters off to marry someone they had never met, sons would be expected to carry on the family name and live up to practically unattainable expectations, and women were becoming mothers at an age even younger than you or my sister."

"How old was your sister?" Orihime asked.

"When I killed her," Ulquiorra thought for a minute and closed his eyes, "she would have been about fifteen years old. The only reason she was not yet a mother was because my father refused to let her marry until she was sixteen. At which it was only inevitable that she would have birthed her first child perhaps one year later, if she was lucky."

"I'm sorry," Orihime apologized as she tried to stop crying.

"For what?" Ulquiorra asked. He had no idea why the woman was apologizing, or what she was apologizing for.

"If I hadn't have brought it up, you wouldn't be sad. And don't try and tell me you're not, I can see it on your face." Orihime wiped the tears from her eyes. "I should have just kept my mouth shut."

Ulquiorra kissed her forehead. "No, I am glad you asked. All of my sadness and regrets have been bottled up inside my forsaken soul for so long. It feels wonderful to finally be able to tell someone about my past."

It was quiet. Ulqiorra kissed Orihime one more time before resting his head in the crook of her neck. She closed her eyes and ran her hand down his arm; lacing her fingers through his before kissing them gently one by one. She gazed deeply into his eyes and he noticed a hint of sorrow swirling within her sparkling gray iris'.

"What is it?" he asked worried. "Is something wrong?"

Orihime turned her head. "No. It's just that," she bit her lower lip, "after all that's happened. What are we going to do if you don't ever get your human life back? I don't want to lose you."

Ulquiorra gently kissed her collarbone and turned her head so she was looking at him. "If I never obtain my human life, I will still stay with you for as long as you live and more. I may not be able to die with you, but I will follow you wherever it is you humans go. I will stay by your side and protect you, I will watch over you as you age and have children of your very own, I will protect you and your family from harm, I will follow you to your grave and watch over you in your eternal slumber, and I will forever watch over your family as your children produce offspring of their own." He cupped her cheek and wiped away a tear that dared to slide down her face.

"You will never lose me. I refuse to ever let that happen. I will always be there to protect you; to care for you and love you when no one else is. No matter what happens to me, whether or not I obtain my mortal existence once again," he gently rubbed her ring finger where his mother's ring shone brightly in the dull light, "I will always be with you."

Orihime wrapped her arms around Ulquiorra's neck as tears gently cascaded down her face. "Do you promise?"

Ulquiorra held his crying woman in his arms. Regaining his human life seemed so little to him now. Now there was something else for him to live for. She was his whole reason for living. He loved her and she loved him. To have his human life back would mean nothing to him if he did not have this woman to share it with.

"I promise."


	16. Chapter 16

The music was a heavy, almost savage, thrum beating against the young man's eardrums as he tried to drink his bottle of Root Beer in the poorly lit corner of the room. The thick haze of smoke swirling in the air was polluting the air in his lungs and threatening to choke him to death as he watched the pretty waitress' strut around the bar, wearing skimpy tube-tops and mini-skirts, delivering half drunk, old men their drinks and food. The flashing red, blue, purple, green, and other colored lights turned the darkness into a rich array of color and revealed the men in the bar for the monsters they were.

A man with greasy, slicked back, black hair wearing a leather jacket and loose white t-shirt sat down at the boy's table and set his bottle of Budweiser on the table. He leaned back against the wall and scanned around the room with a fatherly pride. "If you had told me five years ago when I opened up this joint that it would be one of the most popular Gentleman's Clubs in all of Karakura, I would have slapped ya and called you a liar."

The orange haired boy set down his Root Beer and watched a girl with blazing red hair scurry around the bar. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago."

"Tsk, I do have other business besides you, carrot top," the man smirked and drained half of his bottle of Budweiser. "Now, what is so important that you need to discuss that you would meet me here?"

Ichigo glared at a balding man with the intent to kill as he wrapped his arms around the young red head's waist and pulled her onto his lap. "Excuse me," he got up, walked over to the hefty old man, and tapped on his shoulder.

"Huh, what do you want, you brat?" the old man slurred. "You don't look like your even old enough to be in here."

"I'm gonna ask you politely to let the girl go," Ichigo said dully.

The old man smirked. "Or what?"

Ichigo punched the fat, old man square between the eyes and he toppled off of his bar stool. He clenched his hand into a fist three times before returning it to his pocket. "That's what."

The young red head wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Thank you, Ichi," she exclaimed. "I had no idea how I was gonna get out of that one!"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said and pulled the girl off of him,"just try to be more careful. He walked back to his dark table and sat down. "Sorry about that. What were you saying?"

The man sitting across the table from him laughed. "I don't quite get you, carrot top. You want my boys to off a chick's dog and her boyfriend when you SHOULD be trying to get her for yourself. From the information I've gotten so far, she's a rose growing out of a crack in the sidewalk compared to that slut you just knocked that old man out over."

"I didn't come here to be lectured," Ichigo said dangerously. "I came here to talk business."

"Alright, carrot top, don't go getting your boxers in a bunch," the shady man chuckled. "So, what business did you want to discuss?"

Ichigo rested his back against the wall and looked at the tattooed man out of the corner of his eye. "How much longer is it gonna take for your men to get the job done? You told me the last time we met that it would take a month for you to find the guys to do it, and here it's almost been two. Are you going to do what I paid you to do or am I gonna have to go to someone else for the job?"

The man drained the last of his Budweiser and returned Ichigo's stare. "We would have offed both of them after the play, but that Ulquiorra boy disappeared and the girl's dog was nowhere to be found."

"That doesn't answer my question," Ichigo growled.

"And I need more information in order to conduct the hit," the man growled back menacingly. "I'm not about to put my neck under the guillotine to knock off the wrong people."

A thin sweat formed on Ichigo's brow. He understood why this man was the most feared mob boss in the area. Just one wrong word was enough to make him look at you as if you were the next one on his hit list.

"What do you need to know?" Ichigo asked shakily.

The man leaned his head against the wall and signaled a waitress for two more bottles of Budweiser. "Is the guy you want out of the picture going to be around Orihime tomorrow?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he was," Ichigo answered obediently. "She's either with him or that damn dog of hers. And if neither of them are around, they tend to show up whenever she's in any danger."

A blonde girl wearing a light blue tube-top and white mini skirt placed two bottles on the table. "Here you go, Sir. I'm sorry for the wait."

"Don't worry about it, doll," the man said charmingly and smiled. "It's your first day. I'm sure a pretty little thing like you will get the hang of it in no time."

"T-thank you, sir," the girl blushed, and quickly ran back to the bar.

The man drank half of the first bottle in two swallows. "Exactly what kind of danger are you talking about?" he finally asked.

Ichigo finished his Root Beer and slid the empty bottle to the middle of the table. "If it's something little, like she trips down the stairs or gets picked on, her dog tends to jump in and settle things. But if she's in any immediate danger, like if she's getting picked over by a bunch of drunks or gets attacked in anyway, that bastard, Ulquiorra, will materialize out of thin air and beat the shit out of anyone who tried to mess with her." He grabbed his empty bottle and remembered that he still needed to order a new one.

"Is that so," the man said intrigingly, and slid the second bottle of Budweiser over to Ichigo, "then I think I've got all the information I need."

Ichigo slowly grasped the bottle and held it in his hand. "Is that right?"

The man nodded. "You bet. I just need to know how much you want these two gone. Are you willing to get rid of them in any way necessary?"

"I wouldn't be talking to you if I wasn't willing to do whatever it took to get rid of them," Ichigo stated bluntly.

The man picked up his half empty bottle. "Even if it means putting your friend's life in danger? Even if it means that she might get hurt in the process?"

"As long as she doesn't get killed in the crossfire," Ichigo droned.

"No," the man gasped in fake shock. "I would never have my boys kill a young woman. That's more of my sister's profession. I'm simply asking if you're willing to get these bastards killed at the expense that your friend may attain some damage. Nothing serious, of course, just a cut here or there, maybe a couple bruises, it all depends on which one of my boys I use."

Ichigo stared at the bottle in his hand. "As long as they get killed and she doesn't, I am willing to do whatever it takes. Just promise me that she won't get hurt or killed along with them."

A sly smile spread across the man's lips. "I assure you. The most damage she'll sustain would be a couple cuts or bruises; nothing life threatening."

"Alright," Ichigo said. He looked into the bottle with dead eyes as he signed the lives of Phantom and Ulquiorra away to the devil sitting across from him. "Do whatever it takes."

The man held his half empty bottle up and tilted the neck towards the lifeless boy sitting next to him. "Then they will be gone tomorrow."

Ichigo mechanically turned his head towards the devil beside him and tapped the neck of his bottle against his half empty one. "Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," the man repeated with a snake-like smile on his lips. He drained the rest of his Budweiser and Ichigo followed suit.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow was a school day. How was this man going to get rid of two people during a school day when Orihime was going to be in class? Oh well, it didn't matter. Soon Ulquiorra and Phantom would be out of Ichigo's life forever, and that's all he wanted.


	17. Chapter 17

Orihime was dressed and ready for school hours before her alarm went off, and not because she was excited, nervous, or anxious. She had woken up from the same nightmare at least five times last night and refused to fall back asleep because of the mind numbing fear racking through her whole body.

It was always the same dream. She would be at school, Ulquiorra would be sitting in the desk next to her in his human form, and she would get called down to the principal's office. Ulquiorra would offer to escort her there, but the teacher would deny his request. After that she would walk down a suddenly dark hallway and a dark shadow would materialize behind her, pinning her arms behind her back and covering her mouth with a pale hand.

She had gotten a glimpse of the man holding her hostage in every dream. He was pure white, white hair, white skin, white teeth, white everything. The only thing that wasn't white were his eyes. The smoldering, amber iris' would sear her skin as he laughed maniacally in a high pitched shriek that would frighten even the foulest of banshees, and where the eyes were supposed to be white they were black as coal. But what had scared her the most about this man, was that he looked like Ichigo.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," the man would chant down the black hallway in his high-pitched wail. "I've got something of yours! If you want her, you'll have to come and get her!"

It had chilled her to the bone how he had just called out like he was playing Hide-and-Go-Seek. He was constantly smiling and had a child-like personality, but the blood lust and murderous intent shining in his eyes completely contradicted the child-like wonder he held about him. It magnified the air of malice he had ten-fold.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he chanted in a slow, high-pitched song. "Come on, you don't want to keep her waiting, do you?" He would tighten his grip on her arm. "After all, we don't want her getting HURT," he twisted her arm until it popped out of her shoulder.

At that point she would scream. It never hurt because it was a dream, but she would scream as if she could feel it. The sound of her cries would echo down the dark corridor and be answered with the sound of running footsteps.

Ulquiorra would suddenly leap through the blackness like a tiger through a flame. His green eyes ablaze with anger as he gripped the sword at his hip to the point where his knuckles turned white. He would be wearing black, leather pants, black boots, a white shirt, and a breast plate like a knight ready to fight for his princess.

The man behind her laughed his banshee shriek again. "Finally, it's about time you got here! I was beginning to think you wouldn't show!"

Ulquiorra never said a word. He just drew his sword and rushed at the man cackling behind her. But he didn't make it, in any of her dreams, he never reached them.

The white man would suddenly pull a sword out of his hand and stab Ulquiorra in the chest. The blade would go through his armor like a knife through butter and completely run him through. Blood ran down the razor sharp blade and slowly drip onto the floor from the hilt; increasing its speed until it was falling to the ground in waves.

Orihime would cry out to him against the white man's hand. She would tell him to stop, to run and save himself, but he never did as she said. He would keep pushing forward, digging the blade deeper and deeper into his heart, until he was standing right in front of her.

"Stubborn, aren't ya?" the white man would ask puzzled, and twisted the sword a quarter of a turn. Laughing as he did so.

A pained expression would appear on Ulquiorra's face as a steady stream of blood cascaded from his mouth. He would reach out and cup her face with a shaking hand and struggle to speak.

"O...O-Ori...hime," he would choke on blood and gasp for breath, "I-I..."

The white man would scream and rip his sword out of Ulquiorra's body at this point. The light faded from his brilliant green eyes and he would fall to the floor, dead. That's usually where Orihime would wake up screaming.

Orihime yawned and rubbed her blackened eyes. "I better get going." She quickly drank her third cup of coffee this morning and grabbed her schoolbag. The last thing she wanted to do was be late, but something deep inside her was practically screaming at her to stay home today. To just curl up on the couch with Ulquiorra snuggled up next to her and watch "Titanic" all day with a wide array of sweets on the coffee table and call in sick, but that would be lying.

She put on her coat and walked into her bedroom. "Ulquiorra, you awake?" She glanced at the bean-bag chair and raised an eyebrow. He wasn't there.

"I am awake," Ulquiorra answered, appearing behind her. "However, I am not so sure you are."

Orihime jumped in surprise and spun around, clutching her heart. "Ulquiorra, don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Ulquiorra closed his eyes. "Do not be so dramatic. I honestly doubt someone who has a heart like your would have a heart attack over something as little as a slight scare. I would expect something like that from Mr. or Mrs. Taka."

"Well, you still shouldn't just sneak up on people like that," Orihime rephrased. "Are you ready to go?"

"As I will ever be," Ulquiorra replied. He morphed into his canine form and poked Orihime's leg with his cold, wet nose.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," Orihime squeaked at the cold nose probing her thigh. "But we need to put your collar on first," she dug in her bag and pulled out his black, leather collar, "come on."

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes and lifted his head so she could slip the irritating collar around his neck. He truly despised this thing, but he had to wear it. If he refused to do so, the woman would not bring him anywhere with her. God only knows what kind of trouble she could get into if she was left to fend for herself.

The sudden blast of cold air caused Orihime to shriek as she locked her apartment door. It was enough to wake her up and caused the three cups of coffee she had earlier to finally kick in; sending her into an overactive, caffeinated frenzy. She slid down the railing and jumped up and down frantically at the bottom of the staircase.

"Come on, Phantom!" she exclaimed. "Let's get going! Let's go!"

Ulquiorra stared at her in confusion. Just a moment ago she could hardly lock the door, now she was jumping up and down like an idiot and spinning like a ballerina. What could have caused such a drastic mood swing?

Orihime skipped down the street in front of Ulquiorra, spinning occasionally for no apparent reason, and singing some song he had never heard before when she suddenly stopped and held her hand out, palm up. There were white flakes slowly falling from the gray sky. They clung to her hair and clothes and sprinkled Ulquiorra with a light dusting of white fluff.

"It's SNOWING!" Orihime screamed, and spun around so fast it made Ulquiorra dizzy. "It's snowing! It's snowing! It's snowing! It's snow- oomph!" She slammed into something firm and fell backwards on top of a very annoyed Ulquiorra.

"Hey, why don't you watch where you're going?" a gruff voice snapped.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Orihime apologized as she stood up. "I didn't mean to run into you," she looked at the man she had run into and smiled warmly, "oh, hi, Ichigo! I didn't think anyone would be up this early!"

Ichigo glared at her with blood-shot eyes. He had a pounding headache and felt like he was about to throw up. "Oh, Orihime, hi, say, could you keep the noise down a bit? I feel like there's a jackhammer pummeling my skull."

Ulquiorra slipped between Orihime and Ichigo and growled. "Perhaps you would not be feeling so sick if you had not stayed up all night drinking in a whorehouse!" he thought menacingly. He could smell the scent of beer and cheap women all over him. It would not have surprised him in the least if the trash never went home at all last night.

Orihime knelt down next to Ulquiorra and raised an eyebrow. "Phantom, what's gotten into-" she didn't finish her question. The second she knelt down she could smell the alcohol and cheap perfume permeating from Ichigo's uniform. It was enough to suck all of the energy out of her and make her sick to her stomach.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo," she apologized while holding her breath and quickly skirting around him, "but I'm in a hurry. I have to...have to...give Mademoiselle a present I made her last night! She's not going to be here next year, so I thought I'd make her something as a thank you! Bye!"

She sprinted down the street with Ulquiorra trotting leisurely by her side. There was something else hanging over Ichigo's body besides the awful stench of heavy perfume and alcohol. She had looked him in the eye and noticed that he hadn't looked at her once during their short conversation. The entire time he had been talking to her he was glaring at Ulquiorra with a look that reminded her of the white man from her dream. Suddenly she wished that she had stayed home today.

Ichigo watched Orihime sprint down the street with Ulquiorra trailing beside her and smiled slightly. He knew the dog would be with her today, but knowing that the mutt was watching her every move made him feel uneasy. If Phantom was with her, then Ulquiorra was most likely not going to be at the school at all today. He started to question how "Boss" and his men were going to off a man who wasn't going to be at the school but quickly dismissed the feeling. Today he would be free from that bastard, Ulquiorra, and Orihime's dog. That much was certain.

Orihime quickly rushed into the school and shivered at the sudden warmth. The snow had steadily increased as she ran and it was getting colder by the minute. She rubbed her hands together and blew warm air into her cupped palms. "You know," she looked at Ulquiorra, "it's times like this I wish I had thick fur like yours."

Ulquiorra huffed in amusement. The thought of the woman as a hairy mongrel like himself was enough to almost make him laugh. It would have been interesting to see what kind of breed she would be.

Orihime walked into her classroom and was immediately tackled by a red flash.

"Orihime," Chizuru exclaimed, "you look so cold! Here let me help you warm up!" She was launched into the air as Tatsuki kicked her in the stomach.

"Can't you think of anything else besides groping Orihime's bust?" Tatsuki shouted and helped Orihime up. "Say, you haven't seen Ichigo, have you?"

Orihime's eyes widened slightly. "I ran into him on the way to school this morning. Why?"

"He's been acting kinda weird lately," Tatsuki replied, "just a few weeks ago I saw him sneaking around your apartment really early in the morning."

"What?" Orihime exclaimed.

Ulquiorra suddenly stiffened. The thought of Ichigo lurking around the woman's apartment was unsettling enough, but if he had seen what had occurred between him and Orihime who knew what he might do?

"Yeah, I think it was the night before the play," Tatsuki said, holding her chin between her index finger and thumb. "I also saw him go into that creepy, old, rundown factory on the outskirts of town the same night. And last night I saw him go into that one 'gentleman's club', what's it called again, Boss' Hideout. I'm starting to worry about him."

Orihime could barely breathe. Ichigo had been sneaking around her apartment the night before the play. He could have easily found out about her and Ulquiorra's relationship! But if he did know, why hadn't he tried to talk to her about it?

The door flew open. Ms. Kurenai stormed into the room dragging Ichigo, and two other boys, by their ears.

"I don't want to hear any of your lame excuses," Ms. Kurenai shouted. "If you ever come into my class with a hangover again, I'll hold you back for three years! And you boys," she dropped Ichigo in his chair and glared at the two new students, "what is wrong with you? Didn't your mothers teach you any manners? What makes you think you can just randomly slap a girl's butt like that; much less spank a teacher?"

"Hehehe, sorry, Miss," one of the boys apologized. He was wearing a black stocking cap, had two lip piercings, and a fairly dark complexion. "We didn't know you were a teacher."

"That shouldn't matter!" Ms. Kurenai scolded. "You should never touch a lady like that!"

"Hey, come on, Miss. We're sorry," the second boy mocked. He had cropped, brown hair and his eyebrow pierced. "We didn't mean nothin' by it."

Ms. Kurenai put her hands on her hips. "You didn't mean ANYTHING by it! God, I don't know which is worse; your manners or your grammar!" She waved her hand towards the middle of the room. "Just go sit down and behave yourselves before I get the principal involved and have you two delinquents hauled down to the courthouse!"

The two boys smirked at each other and took their seats. One with brown hair sat behind a poor girl in the seat closest to the door, while the other one planted himself in the desk directly behind Orihime. Ulquiorra kept a close eye on that one in particular.

Ms. Kurenai stared at the two boys and was about to open her mouth to object to their seating arrangements when another teacher came into the room. A tall, lengthy man wearing a green suit and thick rimmed glasses.

"I'm sorry," the man apologized. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, not at all," Ms. Kurenai replied, slowly turning her attention to the man, "what is it?"

"Oh, well, I was wondering if you might be missing a few students," the man replied.

Ms. Kurenai took a quick scan through the class and in her attendance book. "No, I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

A drop of sweat ran down the man's face. "Well, I have a few delinquents in my class down the hall, and they're not on my list. I was thinking that they might have misread their schedules or gotten lost, but it appears that they're in the right room. I'm sorry for disrupting your class," he bowed, and left.

"Well," Ms. Kurenai walked back to her desk and began writing on the chalkboard, "lets begin today's lesson."

Orihime gasped as something kicked the bottom of her chair and turned around. The dark skinned boy sitting behind her was leaning inches away from her face. She could smell the foul odor of his breath slowly polluting the air in front of his mouth.

"Hey," he smirked, "what's your name?"

"My name's Orihime," she replied quickly. She didn't want to talk to the boy in any way possible. There was something about him that she didn't like; besides his carcass rotting breath.

"Orihime, huh," the boy crooned, "you know. You're kinda cute."

"Thank you," Orihime replied quickly and turned back to the front of the class. She could feel the boy's eyes staring at her back as he scanned her body from head to toe. It made her feel uncomfortable.

Ulquiorra glared at the boy with murderous intent. The way he was staring at the woman was disgusting. His eyes were practically ravaging her body as he slowly moved from the crown of her head down to the curvature of her waist and legs. He was lucky there were people around or else he would have lost those lingering eyes long ago.

* * *

The light snow had turned into a blizzard by the time lunch came around. Orihime stared out the window into the devastating storm ripping through the town. She could hardly see the edge of the windowsill less than a foot away from her; much less the light posts on the corner. She was suddenly jerked out of her daze as someone sat down on her desk.

"Hey, Orihime," the boy who had sat behind her greeted sweetly, "what'cha lookin' at?" He looked out the window. "It looks like it's gonna be a pretty bad storm, don't it?''

Orihime pressed herself to the back of her chair while trying to cover her chest. "I guess so."

The boy smiled and slipped off her desk. "So," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "that dog sitting at your feet. Is he yours?"

"Y-yes, he is," Orihime replied in a high-pitched squeal, "and he doesn't like it when strangers get so close to me!"

"Aw, but I'm no stranger," the boy laughed while patting her shoulder with his other hand, "I'm a classmate. Besides," he stared at Ulquiorra curiously, "why do you have a dog here anyway? You got some medical condition or somethin'?"

Orihime squirmed out of the boy's grasp and made herself look as small as possible. "No, I don't. He just follows me wherever I go. And I'm happy he does, because he protects me from creeps like you!"

The boy's eyes grew wide and he smirked. "Oh, someone's got some nerve." He threw his head back and laughed. "You know, nerve like that can really get a pretty girl like you into trouble." He reached his hand out to touch her arm, but Ulquiorra quickly ducked out from underneath the desk and snapped at him.

"WHOA," the boy pulled his hand back and held his bleeding wrist, pulling at his fingers to make sure they were all still attached. "Damn, lady, you need to keep that mutt on a leash! He's dangerous!"

"He wouldn't have snapped at you if you hadn't have given him a reason to!" Orihime said sternly.

"Given him a reason to!" the boy yelled. "What the hell did I do?"

"I told you that he doesn't like it when strangers get to close to me," Orihime repeated and closed her eyes. "You overstepped his boundaries and were given a clear warning. If you try to touch me again, he might end up causing more damage than a nip to the hand."

"You call this a nip to the hand!" the boy shouted, holding his bleeding wrist in front of her. "Bitch, I'm gonna have to get stitches for this thing!"

"I gave you a perfectly good warning," Orihime repeated. "If you try anything funny, you'll need more than just stitches."

The boy gritted his teeth and lunged his arm towards her. "Why, you little-"

Ulquiorra toppled the delinquent to the floor and snapped his jaws around the fabric at the boy's shirt. He would not draw anymore blood, but he would teach the trash to learn his place and where he ranked in life.

"Someone get this God damn mutt of of me!" the boy cried. "He's gonna rip out my damn throat!"

A small group of students slowly stood up from their seats and watched Ulquiorra tear the front of the boy's uniform to shreds. They had seen the way the boy had treated Orihime and knew better than to mess with Ulquiorra when he was in protect mode. He was on his own.

"Yeah, get him, Phantom!" a boy in the back of the crowd hollered.

"Come on, boy, show that delinquent who's boss!" a girl shouted.

Tatsuki worked her way to the front of the crowd and pulled Ulquorra off of the boy. "That's enough, Phantom. You have to at least give the guy a chance to fight back." She set him down and kicked the boy in the ribs so hard he slid into three desks.

Ulquiorra huffed and sat down at Orihime's feet. Tatsuki may have pulled him away from a fight, but she had inflicted some damage on the sorry excuse for a male in the process, and he respected that.

"What's going on in here?" Ms. Kurenai shouted as she walked into the classroom.

Everyone froze and turned around obediently. "The new guy was picking on Orihime," they all said in unison.

"That's so not true," the second boy with brown hair said. "He was just having a nice conversation with her, and that damn mutt attacked him outta nowhere! Didn't even give him any warnin' or nothin'!"

Ms. Kurenai stared at the two boys in disbelief. She knew perfectly well that Phantom wouldn't just attack someone without proper provocation, but she had to do something to settle the dilema.

A student entered the classroom and whispered into her ear.

"Alright," Ms. Kurenai said, "thank you." She dismissed the student and turned her attention to the rowdy students arguing in the middle of the room. "Orihime Inoue, you're wanted in the principal's office. Please leave your books here and leave."

The whole class turned to Ms. Kurenai and stared in silent disbelief. Orihime was being called down to the principal's office? Hell was more likely to freeze over than her ever doing anything that would ever land her a trip to the principal's office. What did the principal want to see her for?

"Uh, yes, Ma'am," Orihime said. She stood up and walked to the door with Ulquiorra following close behind her.

Ms. Kurenai quickly grabbed Ulquiorra's collar and held him back. "He wishes to see you alone. Phantom's going to have to stay here."

Orihime glanced from Ms. Kurenai, to Ulquiorra, and back to her teacher. "But-"

"No buts," Ms. Kurenai interrupted, "just go to the principal's office."

"Alright," Orihime quickly rushed to the door and ran down the hall. This was like her dream. All she needed now was a pure white version of Ichigo to appear out of nowhere and kidnap her.

She reached the principal's office and timidly knocked on the door.

"Come in, Miss Inoue," a voice called.

Orihime gently grasped the handle and opened the door. "You wanted to see me, Sir?" She stepped into the room and her blood ran cold. The principal was leaning over his desk, unconscious and bleeding from the back of the head. There was a man with long, blonde hair, brown eyes, wearing a black, leather jacket; sitting on the arm of his chair and holding a pistol in his hand.

"Ah, Miss Inoue, or do you prefer, Orihime? Welcome, please" the man pointed to a chair sitting in front of the desk with his pistol, "have a seat."

* * *

Ten minutes had passed since Orihime had gone to the principal's office, and Ulquiorra was fidgeting furiously as he laid down next to her desk. Tatsuki could practically feel the anxiety rolling off of him in waves. She didn't blame him. She was beginning to feel anxieties of her own.

Something wasn't right. Orihime had never done anything that would have gotten her a trip to the principal's office in her life; much less something that would have gotten her a visit for this long. What was going on?

The ticking clock was like a jackhammer going off in Ulquiorra's head. Where was Orihime? What was taking her so long to return? Why were the two new boys just chatting idly in the middle of the room with Kurosaki.

The minute hand reached the quarter after mark and the new students moved back to their seats; only they walked a bit further than their desks.

"Alright," the brown haired boy shouted, pulling a two revolvers out from behind his back, "if any of ya makes so much as a whimper, I'll blast your brains out!"

The boy standing behind Ulquiorra pulled a shot-gun out of his backpack and pointed the barrel at a random girl in the room. "We don't wanna kill more people than we have to. So if any of ya know where a man named Ulquiorra Shiffer is, speak up."

Tatsuki's eyes widened. These guys wanted to kill Ulquiorra. Why? Why would they come to a school full of people just to kill a guy who might not be here? And why would they wait until after Orihime was called to the principal's office to do this? Wouldn't it have been easier to ask her where he was? Unless...

"What have you bastards done to Orihime?" Tatsuki yelled, jumping out of her seat.

"Well, well, well, it looks like someone's caught on," the boy with brown hair chuckled. "We've got a buddy of ours looking after her in the principal's office. Don't worry though. He won't do anything to her. Our business is with that Ulquiorra guy and that mutt sitting in the corner," he pointed one of his revolvers at Ulquiorra.

"However," the boy with the stocking cap said and pointed his shot-gun at her, "if you don't sit your ass down and shut up, I'm gonna have to pump ya full of lead. I don't wanna waste any ammunition on a runt like you. I just wanna blast that dog's brains all over the wall and leave," he looked at Orihime's desk and raised an eyebrow, "where the hell did that mutt go?"

Ulquiorra lunged at the boy from underneath his desk and snapped his jaws around his arms like a steel bear-trap. He felt the bones in his forearm break instantly from the pressure.

The boy screamed in agony and bashed the butt of his gun against Ulquiorra's ribcage. "Get off of me, you mutt! Get...the hell...OFF!" He jammed the muzzle of the gun into Ulquiorra's hip and fired; shooting himself in the knee by mistake. "GOD, DAMMIT," he screamed in agony, "I'm gonna kill that mutt!"

Ulquiorra released his arm and kicked the gun out of his reach before lunging at his shoulder. He crunched down on the boy's collarbone so hard it snapped like a twig. Blood covered his muzzle as he sliced through flesh and shredded the rest of the boy's uniform to ribbons.

"Koi," the brown haired boy shouted and jumped on top of the desks. He fired two bullets at Ulquiorra's head but ended up shooting his comrade by mistake.

Ulquiorra ducked underneath the desks again and collapsed. One of the bullets may have killed the idiot's friend, but the second had ripped through his shoulder. Now he had a matching set of scars, one on his left shoulder and one on his right.

The boy jumped from desk to desk. "I know you're here somewhere! Come out," he grabbed Rukia by the hair and held the gun to her head, "or else I'll blow this girl's head off!"

"Oh no you don't," Tatsuki yelled, and tackled the boy off the desks; causing the pistol to misfire and graze her shoulder.

The boy kicked her off of him and pressed one of his revolvers to her forehead. "I wasn't supposed to kill anyone else but the dog or Ulquiorra, but you've just signed your death warrant."

The gun clicked as the hammer pulled back and Ulquiorra sank his jaws into the boy's throat. He was not going to let a piece of trash like this kill Tatsuki. He refused to let it happen. There was no way he was going to allow his friend get killed by someone like this.

There was a searing pain in his right flank as the boy managed to fire one last shot before the life left his eyes and his body went limp. Ulquiorra immediately released the dead boy's throat and crawled underneath the desks. The bullet was fired at such close range that it had seared his flesh as it ripped through his muscles.

"Phantom," Rukia screamed, and quickly rushed over to where he lay under the desks with Tatsuki close behind her. They pushed the chairs and desks away and jumped back.

"U-Ulquiorra?" Tatsuki gasped.

Ulquiorra's eyes shot open. Tatsuki, Rukia, and every other person in the room was staring at him with wide eyes and a slight blush. He stood up and fell over as his leg collapsed beneath him.

Two boys caught him by the shoulders and slung his arms over their shoulders.

"It's alright, buddy," the one on his left said, "we've got you."

They heaved him over to a chair and gently set him down. A girl quickly covered him in a blanket while a group of students crowded around him.

"What are you all staring at?" Ulquiorra asked, and froze at the sound of his own voice. He quickly stood up, taking extra precaution not to put any pressure on his wounded leg, and stared down. He was in his human body again, but what's more, he was completely naked.

He stared at the crowd of blushing girls and gaping boys and quickly wrapped the blanket around his waist. "How did I attain my human body?"

Tatsuki stepped forward and gently placed her hand on his wounded shoulder. "There's more than one kind of love," she explained. "You can feel love towards a friend too ya know."

Ulquiorra stared at her in shock and gently placed his hand over her's. "Then I guess it is a good thing I consider you my friend." He removed his hand and quickly rushed over to the dead boy next to the door; wincing in pain as he knelt down and removed the boy's pants.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ichigo demanded.

Ulquiorra quickly slipped into the boy's jeans, they were about his size, and punched Ichigo so hard he broke his nose and cracked his neck in five places. "That is for trying to have me killed. And this," he kicked him in the ribs, "is for putting Orihime's life in danger."

Ichigo clutched his ribs and curled into the fetal position. "How the hell did you find out it was me?"

Ulquiorra knelt down and pulled him up by the collar of his shirt. "It's a good thing dogs can't talk, remember?" He delivered the final blow and dropped Ichigo's unconscious body onto the floor.

"What do we do now?" Chizuru asked frantically. "Orihime's in terrible danger. We have to do something!"

"We do not do anything," Ulquiorra said firmly. "I know that the majority of you have cell phones. You will call the authorities while I go to the principal's office and make sure Orihime is alright. This is not a negotiation," he added the last sentence when he saw Tatsuki open her mouth to argue. "Please, just stay here."

"Fine," Tatsuki huffed, "but you better bring Orihime back here unharmed, or else these guys who are trying to kill you will be the least of your problems."

Ulquiorra ruffled her hair and smiled. "I would rather die than harm Orihime in any way. I promise that I will bring her back safely." And with that, he sprinted out the door and down the hallway. If the situation called for it, he would gladly give up his own life to save hers.

* * *

The blonde man slowly paced around the room like a predator circles its pray. Ever since the sound of gunfire had echoed through the halls, he had been strutting around like a king in his castle. He stood behind Orihime and leaned next to her ear.

"So, tell me. Where is your friend Ulquiorra?"

"Why should I tell you?" Orihime countered. "You're just going to kill him whether I tell you or not. The only difference would be that you would kill him faster if I told you."

The man placed the cool, steel barrel of the gun on her jaw and slowly dragged it along her neck. "It's nothing personal, young Miss. I'm just trying to do my job. I was hired to get rid of him and your dog," he chuckled slightly, "and by the sound of it my comrades have already taken care of the mutt."

"That's a lie!" Orihime said boldly. "U-Phantom wouldn't go down that easy!"

"Oh, but I'm afraid it is, my dear," the man crooned. He walked around her and sat down on the principal's desk. "Those two boys who were in your class both had high-end weapons. I doubt you would even be able to recognize you little doggy anymore."

"Stop it!" Orihime begged. Tears were swelling in her eyes.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve? Anyway, I'll stop if you just tell me where Ulquiorra is," the man knelt down in front of her and gently pressed his fingers to her cheek. "Come now, dear, don't cry over such little things. Just tell me where he is or how to summon him to our little party and I promise that I'll make his death as quick as possible."

Orihime looked the man in the eye and spit in his face.

The blonde man stood up and wiped the spit from his eye. "Fine, if you refuse to cooperate nicely I'm afraid I'll have to force the answer out of you." He drew his hand back and slapped her across the face. "Now, tell me. Where is Ulquiorra?"

"I'll never tell you where he is," Orihime said firmly. "I would rather die than sit here and watch you kill him."

The blonde man slapped her again. "Tell me where he is!"

"No!"

"Fine, then you've left me no other choice," the man gripped the gun in his dominant hand and swung to strike her again.

Orihime braced herself for the impact of the gun on her face, but it never came. She opened her eyes and saw a tall boy with black hair holding the blonde man's wrist in his hand. "Ulquiorra!"

Ulquiorra had burst through the door to the principal's office in time to watch the blonde man wind up to beat his woman with the butt of his gun and quickly caught the man's wrist before he could continue with the blow. "Are you alright, Orihime?"

"Mm-hm," Orihime nodded.

"Thank god," Ulquiorra thought. He glared at the man quivering in front of him and bared his teeth. "How dare you strike a woman with a weapon you are to frightened to use?"

The blonde man returned the intense glare. "Who says I'm to afraid to use it? I was just trying to get some information out of the girl, but now that you're here I don't need to resort to such vile techniques." He ripped his hand free from Ulquiorra's grasp. "My men and I can kill you right here and now!"

The blonde jumped out of the way and three more men appeared out of nowhere. They all pointed their guns at Ulquiorra and opened fire.

Ulquiorra quickly picked Orihime up and sprinted out of the room as the men inside the office killed each other senselessly. That's what they get for standing in front of one another while shooting.

He ducked behind an open door and gently set Orihime down. The wound in his shoulder and leg had re-opened and he was bleeding through his jeans.

"Ulquiorra, how did you get your human body back?" Orihime noticed the blood stain seeping through his pants and the gaping hole in his shoulder. "Oh my god, Ulquiorra, you're hurt."

"This is nothing," Ulquiorra panted. "Are you sure you are alright?"

Orihime nodded. "Yes, but, Ulquiorra, you're bleeding!" She took off her sweater and tied it around the wound in his shoulder.

"Ulquiorra," a voice called down the hallway, "where are you? Come out now and I'll make sure no harm will come to the girl."

Ulquiorra pressed Orihime close to the wall. "Stay here." He stepped out into the hallway and faced the blonde man walking leisurely towards him.

"Ah, there you are. I was beginning to think you had left," the man practically sang. He was holding a pistol in each hand.

"Why would I run? You would just harm more people I care about until you finished me off anyway." Ulquiorra watched the two pistols carefully. He was not faster than the bullets they fired, but he could move quick enough to dodge them if he knew where he was planning on firing.

"True," the man held one of his pistols at the ready, "any last words?"

Ulquiorra dug into his back pocket. "Just two," he quickly glanced at the pistol and threw two ammo cartridges at the man, "think fast."

The blond man must have mistaken the black cartridges as something that could actually harm him. He quickly ducked and rolled out of their way and snapped when they harmlessly clicked against the floor. "You bastard, are you trying to mock me!"

He quickly stood up, but it was too late. Ulquiorra was already behind him. He grabbed the man's arm and, with one quick twist, broke it at the elbow.

The blonde man cried out in agony as he clutched his dangling arm. "You bastard, you'll pay for that." He swung his good arm in Ulquiorra's direction and fired.

Ulquiorra ducked and felt the bullets slice through his hair. He looked down and gasped in surprise as the barrel of the blonde man's gun suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. "How did he get there so fast?"

He quickly fell backward and kicked the man in the jaw, sending him sprawling out on the ground ten feet away. Something was strange about this man. His speed and moves were so familiar, yet he had never met him before in his life.

"Well, well, would you look at that?" the man said, slowly getting to his feet. "It seems that you've knocked out some of my teeth. Oh well," he tossed five white teeth to the side, "I'll just have to repay the favor." He suddenly pulled Orihime out from behind the wall and held the gun to her head. "Perhaps with your love one's life!"

Ulquiorra's blood ran cold. How had that man gotten to Orihime so easily? Had he planned this from the very beginning? If he had, then it was not just his moves and speed that were so familiar.

"Well, dear," the man said to Orihime, "do you have any last words you would like to say to your lover?" He let go of her mouth and she screamed.

"Ulquiorra, run for it! He'll kill you! Run!"

The man quickly covered her mouth and hit her with the butt of his gun. "You heard her, Ulquiorra. Will you do as she says and run? We both know what will happen if you do," he pulled the hammer back and dug the muzzle of the pistol into Orihime's hair, drawing blood. "It's you or the girl, lover boy. Make your choice!"

For once in his life, Ulquiorra had no idea what to do. If he ran like Orihime told him to, she would be killed. If he tried to save her, he would be shot and there was still a possibility that she would be killed after he was dead. He knew that someone was going to die here. What should he do?

"Time's up!" the blonde man yelled.

Ulquiorra snapped out of his daze and stared at the man in horror. He could see his finger slowly closing in on the trigger of the gun digging into Orihime's head.

He sprinted down the hall with inhuman speed. He was not going to let her die; not here, not now. There was no way he would ever live with himself if he just watched her die. He vowed to always protect her no matter what the cost; even if that meant giving his life to save her's.

The hammer clicked and slowly came down on the primer. He wasn't going to make it. There was no way he could get her out of the way in time. But he could direct the bullet in a different direction. He reached out and slapped the barrel away from Orihime's head.

The sound of gunfire echoed through the halls of Karakura High School. Ulquiorra's hand rested on the barrel of the gun as it pointed at his stomach. A hole had been shot clear through his lower abdomen and was bleeding profusely. He made it.

The man stared at him in shock and shot him twice more: once in the middle of his torso just below the ribcage, and the second in the chest.

Orihime stared wide eyed at Ulquiorra as his body tensed under the blow of gunfire. His eyes stared into her's blankly and blood was slowly flowing from the bullet wounds and out of the corner of his mouth. It wasn't until he collapsed onto his knees that she finally found her voice. "ULQUIORRA!"

The man holding her laughed maniacally and dropped the gun. "What a fool! He should have ran like you said! Your life was never in any danger! If I had harmed you in any way, I would have been killed!"

The sound of thunder echoed through the corridor as the man released Orihime and a stream of blood gushed from his mouth. Ulquiorra was kneeling on the floor with the pistol shaking in his hand. "Don't...you ever...threaten...Orihime...again," he panted.

The man looked down at his blood soaked shirt and smirked. "I'll be damned. It looks like you have a little life left in you after all." He fell to the floor as his last breath of air escaped his lungs.

Ulquiorra dropped the gun and fell over onto his side. His whole body burned and screamed in agony as he lost the feeling in his fingers and his blood ran cold. He was dying. He knew it he was, but it did not bother him. He had willingly sacrificed his life to save the woman he loved; to save the one life he knew he could not live without.

Orihime stood there staring at Ulquiorra for what felt like an hour before she collapsed onto her hands and knees and crawled through the vast puddle of blood on the floor to him. She pulled his head onto her lap and frantically pressed her hands to his gaping wounds one by one to try and stop the bleeding.

"Ulquiorra, Ulquiorra, stay with me," she begged. "Please, please, don't go. Ulquiorra, please don't die." She untied the sweater wrapped around his shoulder and fastened it around the bullet wound in his abdomen.

"You're going to be alright. I promise. You're going to be just fine." She moved her hands along his body to try and cover his remaining two wounds.

Ulquiorra cupped her face in his hand and she stopped trying to cover his wounds. "You...and I...both...know...that isn't true," he panted as he choked on his own blood. "We both know...that I'm...not going to...make it."

Orihime felt the tears fall from her eyes like rain falling from the sky in a summer storm and clung to his hand desperately. "You can't die," she sobbed. "You just can't. You promised me that you'd always be there. That you'd always protect me," she tightened her grip on Ulquiorra's hand, "DAMMIT, ULQUIORRA, YOU JUST CAN'T DIE! I LOVE YOU TOO MUCH!"

"Orihime," Ulquiorra whispered, "Orihime,...look at me.'

Orihime opened her eyes and stared down at Ulquiorra's smiling face.

"Orihime...Inoue, I love you...more than anything...in the world," Ulquiorra coughed and droplets of blood landed on her face. "If it...were not for you...I-I would have never known...what it was like...to love another," a tear formed in his eye," so much...that I would be willing to...to die for them. Nor would I have...would I have ever known...a woman's love." He coughed harder and tears of joy slid down his face.

"Even...even if I do not get...to grow old with you. I will always...remember the love we shared in the next life. I will...I will keep my promise...and watch over you from the heavens," he gently pulled her face down and kissed her gently, "goodbye...Orihime, my love." His body went limp and his eyes gently closed.

Orihime's eyes widened in fear. "Ulquiorra?" She shook his lifeless hand. "Ulquiorra!

He didn't answer. The only reply she heard was the soft sound of the wind blowing outside and the blood stained face smiling up at her.

"ULQUIORRA!"


	18. The Ends of Old

There was a white light enveloping the fluffy cloud Ulquiorra was standing on. He was bare foot and wearing a pair of black, leather pants and a white, long sleeved shirt, much like the shirt he wore before he was cursed. Everything seemed so surreal as a gentle breeze rustled his hair and tugged playfully at his clothes.

He looked down and felt his torso. The bullet wounds were gone, is injuries were healed, and he was as crisp and clean as the day he was born. But how could this be? He was shot five times. How could he not have a scratch or drop of blood on him?

"Big Brother," a feminine voice exclaimed.

Ulquiorra turned around and his eyes grew wide with shock. There, running over mounds and mounds of white, fluffy cloud, was his little sister. She was wearing a white dress that flowed behind her, along with her long, chestnut brown hair, as she sprinted towards him. He laughter brought tears to his eyes as he ran up to her and embraced her gently.

"Lena," he cried silently, "it's you! After all these years, I finally get to see you."

Lena squeezed him tight and pulled away. Her eyes grew wide in confusion as she cupped his face and smiled. "Ulquiorra, you're crying."

Ulquiorra sighed and gently grasped his sister's hand. "I suppose I am," he held her tightly, "I am so sorry, Lena. I'm sorry for everything. For not being a good brother, for not protecting you when I should have, for killing you; I am so, so sorry."

"It is alright, Brother," Lena replied happily and gently returned his embrace. "I know you did not mean to. You were just doing what Father had wanted you to do; to be a full fledged fighter worthy of inheriting his kingdom. I do not blame you."

"Thank you, Lena," Ulquiorra choked, and slowly released his younger sister. "Thank you for everything."

A calloused hand rested on his shoulder. "You have done will, my son."

Ulquiorra turned around and his eyes widened. "Father?"

The old king smiled down at him with his old, crystal blue eyes. "Who else would it be? Do not tell me that you have forgotten your own father's face?"

"Never," Ulquiorra shook his head. All traces of surprise left his face and he turned fully towards him and stood up straight. "Forgive me, Sir," he knelt before the old king.

"No. Forgive me," the old king replied, lifting Ulquiorra to his feet. "If I had never given you up so easily to those mercenaries, you would have never felt such loneliness. I take full responsibility for the fates we have endured, and the hell you have been through," he knelt down, "please, forgive me."

Ulquiorra grasped the strap of the old king's armor and pulled him up. "Do not bow to me, Father. I am your son. There is no need for such an apology."

The old king clapped his son on the shoulder. "I believe you are right."

"Ulquiorra," an older woman's voice said.

Ulquiorra looked towards his sister and saw an older woman with brown hair and green eyes, also wearing a white dress, standing next to her. "Mother?"

"Come now, my brilliant little emerald, do not look at me like that," the old queen laughed slightly. "You used to give me that expression when you were three and I let you feel your sister kicking while she was inside my swollen belly. I am too old to be bearing children."

Ulquiorra slowly walked up to the old queen and bowed his head. "I-I apologize for the pain I put you through. If I had just died in battle like I was supposed to," he wiped his eyes with his sleeve, "none of you would have died."

The old queen cupped her son's face in her hands. "Shh, shh, do not say such things, my little emerald. If you had died in battle, you never would have known true happiness, or the love of a woman who cared deeply for you."

"Ulquiorra," a ghost-like voice cast through the air.

"Orihime," Ulquiorra scanned the cloud. She was here? No. He was the one who should have died. What was she doing here?

A bright light materialized from the cloud and Orihime's crying figure appeared withing the swirling mist. Ulquiorra knelt down next to the basin and stared down into the intangible picture with a heavy heart. She was crying because of him; hurting because of him.

"That woman has deep feelings for you," the old king said.

Ulquiorra quickly turned to see his mother, father, and sister standing side by side behind him. "She is better off without me," he said, turning his attention back to the shimmering whirlpool. "At least now she will be able to find someone worthy of such a princess."

"And you do not think that you, a prince, is worthy of such a kind and beautiful princess?" Lena giggled.

"I know I am not," Ulquiorra sighed. He dug his nails into the malleable, white basin. "No murderer is ever worthy of a princess such as her; much less a mercenary like me. I have killed so many, and she has never done anything more than slap a man across the face," he smiled as his cheek tingled in remembrance, "I am too much of a brute to be hers."

"That is not what I have seen," the old queen contradicted. She knelt down next to him and waved her hand over the basin. Pictures of Ulquiorra and Orihime slowly swirled in and out of focus; the night they danced in the Takas' living-room, the night before the play when they had shared more than just a caste kiss, the evening of the play, all of the times he had saved her, they all played before his eyes. "You see? I think you are a gentleman worthy of a princess."

"But," Ulquiorra knelt his head down in shame, "how can I be her's? I died in order to save her life. I sacrificed myself to protect her." His mother, father, and sister all came up to him and placed their hands on his shoulders.

"Do you love her?" the old king asked.

"More than life itself," Ulquiorra replied.

"Then you shall be reunited with her," Lena said happily.

Ulquiorra furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and turned around. They all hugged him tightly and threw him into the basin.

* * *

It was dark. There was a clean, lemon scent filling Ulquiorra's nostrils as the air slowly, painfully, filled his lungs. His ribs, chest, abdomen, thigh, and shoulder hurt, and he could feel something wet dabbing his forehead.

His eyes suddenly snapped open and he bolted upright. "Ah," he fell onto his elbow and clutched his torso. There were bandages wrapped around his stomach, ribs, and shoulder and he was lying on a soft bed covered in pearl white sheets. It was completely dark outside as the moon shined through the window, and the only other light was coming from a small candle on the bedside table.

"Look who finally woke up," a voice laughed slightly.

Ulquiorra turned his head. There was a white haired woman with midnight blue eyes sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a yellow sponge. "Mademoiselle," he sat upright and doubled over in pain.

Mademoiselle smiled kindly at him. "Come now, Ulquiorra. You should know better than to call me by that name. Call me Lied," she dipped the sponge in a basin of cool water, ringed it out, and gently dabbed it on Ulquiorra's face, neck, and chest. "And I would recommend keeping your movements to a minimum, your wounds may re-open."

"Of course, Lied, I apologize." Ulquiorra slowly leaned back against the headboard and breathed deeply. "How am I alive?"

"Oh," Lied dipped the sponge in the basin again and rang it out, "I was not about to let you die. What point would there be for you to learn the art of self sacrifice if you would only end up dying in the end?" She dabbed his forehead.

Ulquiorra stared at her in disbelief. "You knew this would happen. You knew that I would end up sacrificing my life for another from the very beginning."

Lied smiled slyly. "Perhaps I did, but what does that matter? There would not have been any point in having you sacrifice your life for someone you love to regain your humanity if you were just going to die once the lesson was learned. That is why I kept a close eye on you all these years; to make sure that when the lesson was learned that you would be able to live." She gently dabbed his neck.

Ulquiorra could not help but feel furious at the woman sitting in front of him. She had played him like a chess piece as she toyed with his life, knowing that he would die, and yet he could not bring himself to hate her. If she had not predicted such an outcome he would not be alive right now, nor would he have done so many other things.

He smiled and rested his head against the wall. "You truly are full of surprises," he chuckled slightly.

"I never said I was not," Lied said. She replaced the sponge back in the basin and folded her hands in her lap. "So, how does it feel to be human once again?"

"It feels," Ulquiorra leaned forward slightly and winced, "painful."

Lied laughed heartily. "Well, you would think it would be painful. Your wounds are not going to heal as quickly anymore. But," she pressed her hand against his stomach, "I still need to grant you one wish."

"A wish," Ulquiorra stared at her questioningly, "I do not remember that ever being a reward."

"I only grant one wish to those who I feel have truly learned their lessons and have changed for the better. There have been others who have broken my curse and never attained any reward other than their old lives back," she played his ribs like a skilled pianist, "If you so wish, I can return your high-speed regeneration."

Ulquiorra winced at the pain Lied was inflicting on his ribs. "On one condition."

"Oh," Lied pulled her hand away, "and what is your condition?"

"I will only receive your gift if you promise that it will not interfere with my mortality," Ulquiorra informed. "I wish to die in the future-"

"At Orihime's side," Lied finished. She closed her eyes and smiled. "You know. It is rather odd receiving certain conditions upon which I can cast my spells. Normally I am the one encrypting them."

She opened her eyes and drew her hand back slowly. "Very well, Ulquiorra, I promise you that this healing power will not interfere with your mortality. Do you have any other conditions for me?"

"Well, as a matter of fact," Ulquiorra smirked, "I do have one other condition, but it is more of a request."

Lied raised an eyebrow and stared at him skeptically. "What is your request?"

Ulquiorra motioned for her to come closer. She complied to his gesture and he whispered in her ear.

"Me?" she exclaimed in disbelief. "You must be mad? Do you honestly expect me to do that?"

Ulquiorra shrugged. "It is a request. Are you saying that someone as powerful as yourself would not be able to handle such a simple task?"

Lied blushed a bright pink. "I never said that I could not complete such a simple task!" she said firmly. "It is just," she stared down at her hands, "I have never truly settled down anywhere. If I agree to comply to your request, I will be forced to remain close by at all times. I will not be able to leave and help others the way I have helped you."

"Perhaps your duty has become your own curse," Ulquiorra suggested and gently placed his hand over her's. "If you agree to execute my request, you might be able to break the curse which binds you as well."

Lied turned her head and smiled at him with tears in her eyes. "Very well, I shall comply to your request. Now then," she faced him and held her hand up, "shall I bestow you my gift, or do you have another request for me?"

"Do as you wish," Ulquiorra ordered.

"Do not bark orders at me, Ulquiorra Schiffer," Lied warned. "You never know if they might BACKFIRE!" She slammed her palm into his torso and a blazing fire ignited throughout his body.

Ulquiorra could barely move as the fire spread from his chest to the tips of his appendages. It burned everywhere, but seared his flesh as he felt the bullet wounds stitch together. It was a brief moment of severe pain, but the flame was quickly extinguished as his injuries finished healing.

"What the hell was that?" he growled at the woman smirking in front of him.

"I warned you not to bark orders at me, did I not?" Lied stood up in one swift motion and walked to the door. "I would wipe that look off your face if I were you," she informed. "You have a visitor."

He had a visitor? Ulquiorra straightened up, feeling his newly healed wounds pull slightly as he did so. Who would be visiting him at this time of night?

Lied opened the door and his eyes widened as the room filled with the warm light shining behind the young red haired girl. "Orihime?"

Orihime stepped into the dully light room and felt tears prick at her eyes. Ulquiorra was alright. Mademoiselle had kept her promise and brought him back. She could hardly believe it.

She quickly rushed over and tackled him onto the soft mattress. "Ulquiorra!"

Ulquiorra felt a jolt of pain as she toppled him over and plastered herself to his chest. "Ah, Orihime, that hurts!" He felt her tears soak through his bandages and quickly forgot about the agonizing pain. He gently wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy, Orihime!" Tatsuki shouted in the doorway. "The guy's still fragile!"

Lied put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her out of the room. "Come along, Tatsuki. I think we should give them some privacy."

Tatsuki glanced back at the two love birds and sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She followed Lied out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Orihime clung to Ulquiorra's bandages as the tears flowed from her eyes like rivers. "I'm so happy you're alright," she sobbed incoherently. "I thought you were dead. You were dead, but now you're alive. I'm so glad you're alright."

Ulquiorra could hardly understand her muffled ramblings as she cried into his chest, but he did not care. He was alive, and he was able to comfort her the way he should have comforted her from the very beginning. The way any man should comfort the woman he loves.

"It's alright," he whispered into her strawberry scented hair. "Everything will be alright. I'm here now, and I will always be here."

Orihime looked up at him through tear filled eyes. "You promised me that you wouldn't leave."

"I am here now, am I not?" Ulquiorra replied, brushing a tear from her eye, "and I promise you that I will never leave you; no matter what." He bent down and gently kissed her lips. She immediately kissed him back with a hunger he had never known she could ever possess. For the time being, everything was right.

* * * One Year Later * * *

"Come on, you guys!" Tatsuki yelled. "We're gonna be late for the fireworks if you don't hurry it up!"

Ulquiorra and Orihime slowly walked through the snowy streets of Karakura town as their friends waited for them at the stoplight at the end of the block. It was New Year's Eve and they, along with Tatsuki, Chizuru, Rukia, Renji, Uryu, Chad, and Lied were all going down to the riverside to watch the fireworks.

Lied had changed her appearance, not very much, to make her appear the same age as Orihime and was now going by her real name instead of Mademoiselle Leroux. She had gotten Ulquiorra a job as a combat instructor by saying that he was her cousin, and also made him a fake birth certificate, driver's license, and high school diploma, so now he was only two years older than Orihime instead of four-hundred and two.

Ichigo was busy waiting out a two year sentence in jail and would be eligible for parole in half a year. The only reason the judge had gone so easy on him was because they had no solid evidence that he had conspired with a group of hit-men to take Ulquiorra out. The man with the slicked back hair had covered his tracks well.

"We're coming, Tatsuki!" Orihime shouted in reply. She slipped her hand into Ulquiorra's back pocket and rested her head on his shoulder. It had taken three weeks for him to be healed enough to able to leave Mademoiselle- Lied's house since the shooting almost a year ago. In that time everyone at the school had sent him flowers, 'thank you' and 'get well soon' cards, and other gifts. To them, he was a hero, and her's as well.

Once he had finally returned to her apartment though, he was immediately attacked by a shower of hugs and kisses from a hysterical Mrs. Taka, and hugged to the point of passing out by Mr. Taka. They had heard about what had happened on the news and constantly asked Orihime for updates on Ulquiorra's condition. You couldn't blame them though. They had already lost two children; hearing that Ulquiorra had been shot five times in a school shooting probably brought back memories they had desperately tried to forget.

The small group of teenagers finally reached the riverbed next to the bridge where Orihime and Ulquiorra had first met all those months ago, and huddled together for warmth.

"Who thought of putting on a fireworks display in the middle of the night on the coldest day of the year?" Rukia complained.

Renji unzipped his coat and pulled her inside. "Don't worry, Rukia, I'll keep you warm." He zipped his jacket just enough to come up to her chin and bent over to kiss her.

"Hey, come on, you two," Tatsuki scolded. "I see enough of that when I'm around Orihime and Ulquiorra. I don't need to see you two getting overly friendly."

"Hey, we do not get overly friendly!" Orihime squeaked, blushing redder than Renji's hair.

"At least we haven't since before the play last year," Ulquiorra corrected.

Orihime turned around and pounded her hands frantically on his chest. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Ulquiorra caught her wrists with ease and kissed her on the nose. "Why are you getting so upset? Everyone here already knows what happened after Kurosaki's outburst in court. What difference does it make if I simply repeat what they already know?"

"They don't need a confirmation!" Orihime screamed as her blush turned from blazing red to a deep crimson. She flailed her arms in an attempt to hit him again but was interrupted as he kissed her fully on the lips.

"Come on, you two," Lied laughed in a bell-like tone that made Uryu and Chad blush, "can't you wait until you get home to partake in such activities?"

Ulquiorra pulled away from a dazed Orihime and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Excuse us." He quickly led her down to the edge of the frozen river.

"Perhaps not," Lied giggled.

Tatsuki and Chizuru rolled their eyes with disgusted looks on their faces.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime laughed slightly, "what's gotten into you? It's not like you to suddenly rush away from people. It's not like you to rush at all."

"It is nothing," Ulquiorra replied, then thought for a moment. "Actually, it is something; something very important."

He turned to Orihime and looked her up and down. She was wearing a pinkish-red coat, red earmuffs, light blue jeans, red boots, and pink mittens. He could see her shivering as her breath crystallized in the icy air.

He unwrapped the black scarf he had around his shoulders and tied it snugly around her neck. "You are going to catch a cold if you do not dress warmly," he informed. His black, fingerless gloves allowing him to gently brush his fingertips along the smooth, delicate skin of her throat.

Orihime blushed a bright pink and shivered at the touch of his fingers along her neck. "T-thank you." She pulled the scarf up to her face to try and hide the obvious embarrassment coloring her face and sighed at the warm scent radiating off the fabric. It smelled just like him.

Ulquiorra wrapped his arm around her shoulder and carefully checked his watch so she would not see. "It is almost time," he thought as the electric clock indicated 11:58 pm. He glanced at Lied standing on the hill behind the group of huddled teenagers behind them and winked.

Lied winked back and gave him a two finger salute. She slid down the embankment to Tatsuki and whispered in her ear before quickly jumping to the top of the hill. It was almost time.

Tatsuki pulled a camcorder out of her coat pocket and turned it on; kneeling down to get a better view of the sky, the frozen river, and Ulquiorra and Orihime. It was almost time.

Ulquiorra took a deep breath and turned to face Orihime. "I have something to say."

Orihime tore her gaze from the crystal clear, black, night sky and turned her attention to him. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong," Ulquiorra replied. He checked his watch discreetly and cursed himself. He was shaking so much that he could hardly make out the glowing 11:59 pm on his watch. Why was he so nervous? He had only practiced this in front of the mirror and in front of Tatsuki and Lied so many times he lost count, so why was he so nervous?

He brushed a strand of hair out of Orihime's eyes with a shaking hand and kissed her gently. "I love you."

Orihime was slightly put off by this statement. She knew he loved her, even though he did not say it often. But this time was different, he was acting so strange. Was he shaking?

Ulquiorra suddenly turned her so she was facing the frozen water as sparks fired into the sky. He quickly stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist so she could not move.

That was the first signal.

Lied clapped her hands together as the first thunderous explosion from the fireworks ripped through the night sky and swept a flurry of star-like orbs into the atmosphere. They formed in unison high above the frozen river so everyone, including Orihime, could see it.

Orihime gazed at the flaming display of color flashing through the sky with child-like wonder. "Oh, Ulquiorra, this is so beautiful! Do you see-" she suddenly cut off in mid sentence. Something was happening in the sky other than the fireworks display.

There were suddenly stars falling from the sky in unique, intricate patterns. They spun, swirled, and zigzagged into all kinds of different shapes to catch her attention before coming together in a huge, floating orb of ghostly light.

"What is that?" Orihime asked breathlessly.

Ulquiorra stepped away from her and knelt down on one knee while keeping one hand on her waist. He dug in his pocket and pulled out a small, black, velvet box and opened the lid with his teeth.

That was the second signal.

Lied held her hands up and clapped them a second time. The great ball of stars suddenly exploded, casting shooting stars all across the sky, and formed a giant heart. Orihime gasped in shock as the shooting stars suddenly formed a message inside the glowing symbol:

ORIHIME, WILL YOU MARRY ME?

Orihime turned around and plastered her hand over her mouth to stifle her cry of shock.

Ulquiorra was kneeling before her. His whole body was shaking, there was a bead of sweat slowly running down his face despite the freezing temperature, and there, in his hand, was a small, black box containing a delicate, diamond ring.

"Orihime Inoue," he said shakily and swallowed hard to compose himself, "I...I..." What was he supposed to say? His mind had suddenly gone blank. But he had to say something, she was staring right at him. "Come on, you coward, say something!" he mentally kicked himself.

"I love you, and vow to try and be the kind of man a princess like you deserves, will you marry me?"

"You Dumb-Ass," he scolded himself severely, "what kind of proposal was that? You might as well have just-"

Orihime flung her arms around his neck and tackled him to the ground. "Yes!" she cried through tears of joy. "Yes! Of course, I'll marry you!"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and unbridled joy. She said yes. She said YES! He picked her up by the waist and spun around in circles before setting her down and kissing her passionately.

"It looks like she said yes," Tatsuki laughed and turned off her camera.

"Did you have any doubts?" Lied smiled. "I am just surprised that it took him a year to finally build up the courage to propose. For an ex-mercenary captain, he sure worries about the strangest things."

"I still can't believe that he decided to save up the money to buy her that ring," Uryu commented. "Wouldn't it have been easier to propose with his mother or sister's ring?"

"He said he's saving those for something else," Tatsuki replied.

Lied gazed down at Ulquiorra and Orihime as they stood and gazed across the frozen water at the blazing night sky. "And I think I know what he is saving them for," She held her hand out, palm up, and conjured a butterfly out of starlight, "Happy New Year, everyone."

The butterfly fluttered out of her hand and shot across the night sky. A dark man wearing a hooded robe stared into the stone basin and grinned beneath the shadow cast over his face. "Yes," he said in a deep, raspy voice, "Happy New Year indeed."


End file.
